Cold Heart
by Palomino Viper
Summary: Kain has always been intrigued by Rin, a cold, seemingly heartless vampire. Soon however, his interest in her clashes with his loyalty for Kaname, as he is admitted to the world beneath Rin's mask of coldness. SEQUEL TO "COLD SHADOW"
1. Hima

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, or any of the characters that originate from the anime/manga. BUT RIN IS MINE, SHE'S AN ORIGINAL CHARACTER THAT I CREATED!!**

**A/N: This is the continuing sequel to "Cold Shadow" if you haven't read that story, then you'd better, otherwise you'll miss out on a lot**

* * *

Rin walked slowly down the corridor, unflinching even if it was broad daylight outside and the sun was lancing into the dorms.

Rin would've continued down the corridor, but all of a sudden, she changed her mind, as she stopped to look out of a window that over-looked the riding oval instead. Her gaze settled, not over Black Heart, but instead on White Lily. Rin lay her hand on the window sill, about to open the window, but the second her fingers touched the latch, White Lily reared on her hind legs, dealing a vicious kick to the prefect who had been about to untie her. Rin continued to open the window anyway, and as soon as she did, White Lily bolted, charging through the mounted Day Class students. Rin simply watched, expressionless. A floor above her she could hear Ichijou speaking to Kaname.

"Uh… Gave me a fright. That horse is too sensitive. The moment I opened the window, that horse kicked Yuuki and went mad…"

Rin turned silently away from the window, scowling inwardly, even if her face was cold and blank. _The second I touched the latch, dork, not the moment you opened the window, _she thought sullenly. Rin paused in her walk down the corridor, then turned and made her way back to the window she had left open. Looking out, she quickly made up her mind and took off from the sill, jumping through the trees to arrive at the edge of the riding rink. She stopped at a distance, as the horses snorted and neighed, touched by her frightening presence. She watched as the Day Class students ended their lessons and began to lead the horses back to the barn. Soon it was only Zero left with White Lily, Yuuki having gone ahead with Yori.

* * *

Zero turned, about to lead White Lily back to the barn after the rest of the students, when White Lily reared, nearly dragging him off his feet. In a flash Zero had his Bloody Rose pointed at the shadow that lurked beneath the tree where he had been sleeping a while ago.

Rin stepped out slowly into the sun, dressed all in white, with a full, long-sleeved coat and a plain white gown underneath. Her bare feet silently grazed the earth as she walked forward.

"Let me ride her."

Rin's words were soft, caressing and sorrowful. Her sharp eyes and blank expression betrayed nothing as she stepped forward, calmly taking hold of White Lily's reins, and holding her steady, even as White Lily shied nervously and pawed the air in anger.

Zero looked her hard in the eye, neither of their gazes relenting beneath the other. Slowly, Zero lowered the Bloody Rose, and even more slowly, let go of White Lily's reins. Zero stood back wordlessly, and watched as Rin held on to White Lily, who distanced herself away from the vampire as much as the reins would allow. As Rin slowly shortened the distance between the two, moving her hands slowly and calmly up the taught reins, Zero could hear her whispering softly.

"Hima. Sshh. Hima. It's me. Hima."

Zero watched, wordless, as White Lily slowly stopped quivering and gradually lowered her head and allowed Rin to stroke her ears. He turned away and left them, but not before noticing the tears that streaked Rin's cheeks as she threw her arms around White Lily's neck and later mounted into the saddle.

"Bring her back into the barn when you're done," was all Zero said, throwing the words over his shoulder as he continued to walk away. He didn't get a reply.

* * *

Rin leapt from roof to roof, following the hunter who walked through the alleys below. Even if it was now broad daylight, she was out of the Cross Academy compounds, stalking a dark haired man with a cowboy hat on his head. She watched him stoop over the ashes that were a result from Ichijou's killing of the E-Class, which she had watched before turning around to watch the vampire hunter's progress through the town.

As the vampire hunter below continued on his way to Cross Academy, Rin gripped a gutter, bending the metal, using it to swing towards a pipe that ran down the corner of the building she was on. Sliding down the pipe, she landed soundlessly on her knees on the cobbled alley below, just as the vampire hunter turned a corner a few blocks ahead of her. She quickly got up and followed.

* * *

A few hours later, at around mid-noon, Rin walked into her room at the Moon Dorms, her eyes blazing with hope as she quickly shed her white coat and stalked over to open the drawer of her bedside table. Putting her hand in, she reverently drew out a small knife, with a slightly rounded, oval handle and short, squat but tapered blade. She smiled softly to herself for the first time in days as she tested the blade on the edge of her finger. It was still sharp. Soon it would be the time to recall it's purpose.

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**That's the first chapter guys!! as usual, reviews are highly appreciated! FLAME ME AND YOU DIE!**

**Just a note: "Hima" means "snow" in a certain language... sanskrit, I think.**


	2. Knife

**Second chapter peoples! **

**To alice the dark angel: thanks for taking the trouble and time to submit your review, even if you weren't sure if I accepted anonymous ones! It's highly appreciated! I hope you keep reading, and maybe join FanFiction soon ;) As for your questioning my age: I'm thirteen XD Enjoy!!  
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That night, Rin stood amongst the vampires who turned out for Ichijou's birthday, leaning against one of the pillars of the verandah with a casual and expressionless air. She wore black boots and black breeches, with a black coat that lay open to reveal a white, ruffled blouse. She wore a black sash that hugged her coat to her slim waist, with her hair pinned up with a single, double-pronged, ivory hairpin. Her lips were a bright red stain in her pale face, her eyes, sapphires that would cut through anyone's gaze unhesitatingly. She stood still almost the whole night, showing no reaction to Kain's glances, staying almost expressionless except for the small smirk she kept on her lips. She still didn't react when the two prefects, Zero and Yuuki arrived.

Rin watched silently as Yuuki was forced to sit at Kaname's side, smirked ever so slightly when Zero aimed the Bloody Rose at Kaname's forehead. With a soft sigh she lazily got up to follow as Yuuki ran after the departed Zero. No one noticed her leaving.

* * *

Rin made it to Zero before Yuuki. She quickly knelt beside him as he retched, her face still expressionless but for the small smirk she kept. Unhesitatingly, she lifted some stray strands of hair from his neck, baring his tatoo.

"A restraining tatoo, eh? Be careful," she said, standing up to watch unmercifully as Zero experienced the pain of his hunger pangs.

"Why are you doing this?" he gasped between breaths and gags. Rin smirked again and bit down on her finger drawing a small pinprick of blood. She knelt down again and put her finger to Zero's lips, but standing up as soon as he wiped of the first red bead.

"When I saw you put the gun to Kaname's head, I saw something. Despise me for it if you want, but I think that one day we'll both have something that the other needs. I think that one day you'll be able to help me, and I'll be able to repay you when that day comes," Rin's smirk widened to a heartless grin as Zero glared at her angrily through his pain.

"Your partner's coming," she said as she stood up. "She's worried."

With that, Rin leapt from Zero's side landing silently in the branches of a nearby tree to watch, just as Yuuki arrived, breathless from running.

* * *

A split second after the two prefects broke the surface of the water, Yagari had his rifle aimed and fired. A loud gunshot rang across the pool courtyard, as the magic contained in the bullet grazed Zero's shoulder, wrenching a cry of pain from his vocal chords.

In the shadows beneath the trees, a frown marred Rin's face, as the harsh smell of magic wafted over to her nostrils. She turned away from the scene as Yagari readied himself to fire his rifle for the final shot. As she made her way back to the party, her feet gained a heavy and sorrowful tread, the wan moonlight washing over her shoulders and shining through the etched edges of her tears. Her eyes watched the ground she passed in anger, and she didn't stop walking forward, even as she noticed that the second shot never rang out.

* * *

**The Next Night**

Kain's glare told Ruka to stop before shock caused her to lose her temper with the new hunter-teacher who stood before them. Kain was aware of the seething tempers of almost all the students, as they shifted uneasily in their random places across the room. He was aware of Rin, a silent hole leaning against the wall at the very back of the classroom.

* * *

Rin watched Yagari from the back of the classroom, her ears deaf to the lecture he presenting. She watched while he had his back turned to them, his long fingers writing notes on the black board.

She was wearing a similar outfit to what she wore on Ichijou's birthday, except that her coat and breeches were white, and she had a plain black, collared vest inside her coat, hugged to her waist (again) by a creamy white sash that had embroidered patterns of spirals. Her fingers thoughtfully lowered to her sash, where she felt the harsh imprint of the hilt of the knife concealed within the folds of cloth.

Just as Yagari was about to leave, Rin saw her chance; with blinding speed, the knife was in her hand. There was nothing but a light whistle through the air, as the knife sang its way towards Yagari.

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**That's the second chapter!! I'm sorry if my chapters recently have been somewhat short. Don't worry, there's always more to come!!**


	3. Instruments to Destruction

**Yay!! finally!! enjoy, peoples!!**

* * *

The knife stabbed through Yagari's raised book, just an inch from going in hilt-deep through the pages and hardbound cover.

At the far corner of the room, Rin leaned forward with an unexpected blaze of hope in her eyes. She was in an unlikely spot to be suspected of throwing the knife, as she was not directly in front of the lecture table; sorcery still had it's uses, even if hers was dulled by her transformation into a vampire. She watched Yagari with sharp eyes, clinging to the next words he said as he glanced at the knife. She noticed the slight narrowing of his eyes as he recognized the knife, but quickly hid his emotions behind a mask of diffidence.

"A greeting, huh? I'll receive this…"

Rin angled her shoulders forward a bit more, waiting for what he'd say. She didn't notice Kain turn back ever so slightly to look at her, a puzzled expression on his face as he noticed hers.

Then Yagari's next words came, drawled in careless and casual tones. But for all their carelessness, the words stabbed right through Rin's heart, then backlashed, and whipped her across the face and heart like razorwire, slicing through her controlled mask, bringing unnoticed tears to her eyes.

"In memory of having vampire students."

* * *

Rin didn't move, the soft patter of her teardrops unnoticed by the vampires who walked from the classroom. She was still, slumped in the same corner, her hair cascading over her face in an impenetrable ebony veil, the ends slightly wet from her salty tears.

Kain let the rest of the vampires go ahead of him, waiting till he heard the door close softly behind him. His heart roiled with raw emotions, yearning to hold Rin in his arms, to comfort her. He maintained his distance through a heart-shattering restraint that he laid upon himself, watching Rin weep quietly with an equal sorrow in his eyes. He walked forward softly, slowly holding out a hand.

"Tell me, please," he said softly, stepping forward a bit more, letting his hand fall lightly on Rin's shoulder.

Rin didn't react, but she stiffened as she felt Kain's arms slowly closing around her. She shuddered involuntarily, letting the tears flow into Kain's uniform as she was gently pressed against his chest. She slowly stopped shaking, but still, the tears coursed down her cheeks. Sniffing quietly, she turned her face upwards to Kain's letting, him lift her chin to make her face him.

Kain raised both of his hands to cup Rin's face, looking into her icy eyes, melting in a stream of tears. He lowered his face to hers, kissed her softly and shortly before drawing away to leave the tips of their noses touching.

Rin could feel his voice brush her lips as he spoke, still holding her forehead to forehead.

"I'm sorry."

His words only brought back her sobbing, a bit harder now. Kain released her, stepping backward with his eyes full of pain. "I'm sorry. I can't let myself be the instrument to your destruction." He turned to leave, walking out the door as Rin slumped back against the column once more.

* * *

Yagari stood in the corridor a while more, looking at the moon through the high windows. He lowered the book with the knife still in it to the window sill, thoughtully fingering the hilt while a frown marred his brow. His icy, blue-gray eyes were filled with sorrow as he placed his hand around the all-too-familiar hilt, drawing out the blade with ease. He watched the reflection of moonlight dance across the steel, feeling a deep sorrow as he stroked the knife along the blade. He didn't move when Kain left the class, knowing there would be one more vampire left inside.

Yagari turned slowly as he heard the door to the classroom open and close, his sad blue eyes meeting blue tear filled ones. He fought the unexpected lump in his throat, his gaze tentatively falling on the vampire, skittering over her ebony curls, almost identical to his, over her tall and wiry form. Over her sharply angled chin that still glittered with falling tears. Rin and Yagari watched each other carefully, both of them feeling the same, stagnant sadness.

Finally, Yagari broke the suffocating silence, clearing his throat hesitantly.

"Tade… She…" he stopped speaking, looking to the side in order not to have to look on Rin.

"It was Rido." Rin's words were barely more than a whisper, as she also turned her face to look aside. "She didn't give him your name. Until the end she was still trying to protect what was left."

She broke down into sobs again, refusing to look her father in the eye.

Yagari watched his daughter silently, unable to bring himself to touch her. She was a vampire now, nothing could ever make him show affection to one of them, no matter who it was. Unconsciously, his hand rose, about to land on her shoulder. Startled, Yagari pulled back just in time, sticking his hands awkwardly in his pockets.

Father and daughter stood that way for a long time, but when Rin looked up to meet her father's eyes, all sadness was erased to be replaced by something, scary, fierce. Her eyes burned with an anger and determination so great, Yagari almost took a step backwards, excpet for the window at his back.

Rin's words were low and fierce, saturated in rage.

"I understand. You cannot touch me, father, and neither shall I, but I swear, I shall kill the damned being who twisted everything there was. I swear this to you, and though I shall never be human again, I swear I will kill the man who made you distance yourself from me."

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**MWAHAHAHA!! yay!! so now you know who Rin's father is!! woohoo!! REVIEWS PLEASE!! I NEED THEM TO CONTINUE!!  
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	4. Author's Note

**YOOHOO!! GREAT NEWS, PEOPLES!!**

**no, it's not a new chapter, i'm sorry... BUT: I now have a deviantart account and i have posted Rin Kage's portrait there. if you guys want to see it search for: rin kage vampire knight. if there are more than one results that pop up then it's the one by nightmare-warrior (that's me). you may post your comments on deviant, but i'd prefer it if you guys posted them here as reviews. thanks!!**

**P.S. sorry, i haven't really got the time to write new chapters... . but anyway... i'd say that rin's the spitting image of her father!! ;-D hahahahha!!**


	5. Passion and Pain

**FINALLY!!!!! I HAVE CONQUERED THE EVIL WRITER'S BLOCK!!! **

**A/N: This chapter is slightly... erm... erotic... hey, i know i'm still quite young to be writing stuff like this, but when you haven't had these experiences, the only to describe them is with words... So please don't be too shocked, it's part of the story.  
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* * *

**_Rin feared this man for his familiarity, knew him inside of her as they grasped at each others' bodies. She burned in his loveless lust._

Rin cried out, waking up with her hand clasped over her mouth. Still panting from the all too vivid remnants of an unwelcome dream, she looked out the window to find that it was just about mid-morning.

With a soft sigh, she sank back into her quilt, trying to shake off a certain memory. Her eyelids drooped slightly, and she slowly sank into a shallow sleep.

_The man with the dark curls kissed her to her core, kissing away her willpower, kissing away her humanity, until she became a beast in the guise of a human. He laughed against her throat and applied his kisses to her collarbone, moving upwards gradually._

Her eyelids snapped open, her mind still struggling to free itself from the dream of _his _embraces. She sat up slowly, her head spinning slightly. Tears threatened to spill over her eyelashes. Harsh memories of the brothel she had been forced to join after the death of her mother filled her mind. And like a scalpel twisting under her skin, there was also _that _memory. Why? Why hadn't she recognized him and acted?

Rin raised a fist and dashed the tears on her cheek angrily away, making a growl of frustration and anger as she did so. She swung her legs off of her four-poster bed, walking quickly to the door in her white kimono which served as her nightgown.

Once outside in the corridor, she quickly turned down towards the room Kain and Aidou shared, striding swiftly with a determined silence to her falling steps.

Kain couldn't sleep. He tried to close his eyes, but Rin's face would always appear before him. He tried to let his sense of hearing distract him, but he'd always yearn to hear her voice tell him stories of her childhood. He'd burrow into his quilt, but the warmth would remind him of holding Rin's slim and cool body to his, and when he spread his arms to cool down, he'd be reminded of embracing and comforting her. He was haunted by his memories of time spent with her.

Rin leaned against the wall beside the door to Kain's room, trying to gain composure before knocking. She raised her fist and tapped on the wood, lightly. Inside, she could hear Kain getting up, and walking towards the door. As soon as it opened she grasped his shoulder and propelled him into the corridor, closing the door behind her.

With a sob she threw herself against his bare chest, holding him tightly around the shoulder blades.

Kain was slightly startled, but he returned her embrace with as much desperation and need as her, breathing in the scent of her hair, catching the movement of her breasts as she sobbed against his chest.

Rin slowly detached herself from Kain's embrace, taking him by the hand and leading him to her room. She was still crying as she opened the door and let him in.

Kain gently placed his hands on her shoulders, telling her with his eyes that she had to tell him everything.

"It was Rido," she said, slightly hysterical as she got the words around her sobs. He nodded encouragingly, letting his fingers burrow themselves in her hair while he waited for her to continue. He gently led her to her bed, making her sit on the edge while he sat beside her and made her lean her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, comforting her and encouraging her to tell him more.

"I-" Rin cut her sentence off before finishing it, instead turning to face Kain and rather desperately putting her long fingered hands to the sides of his face. Kain wordlessly allowed her to draw him into her desperate kiss, cupping her face with his hands and gently answering her unleashed need and passion, tasting the tears on her cheeks that needed to be quenched.

All of a sudden, Rin felt a band tighten harshly against her heart, felt her throat go dry with hunger for blood. With a cry, she ended the kiss, staring into Kain's eyes as her fangs extended and her ice-blue eyes suddenly glowed a sullen red.

Kain understood. Acting before she could, he put his lips to her throat, gently asking permission with his tongue before extending his fangs.

Rin put her hands to his head, urging him on while she gasped in pain from her hunger pangs. Kain drank her blood, and she pulled him closer to her, reveling in the pain that was not pain, knowing that if it was Kain, pain wouldn't be her worry. They leaned backwards slowly until they were both lying down.

Kain pulled away from her throat, gently licking away the last beads of blood, and letting none stain her kimono. He kissed her gently as her arms moved like saplings to pull him closer against her, baring his neck for her before the kiss ended and she too, took her share of blood.

Kain, was bitten, for the first time. As he felt his blood leave his body and enter Rin's, he felt his love for her magnified to an intense level of awareness.

"I love you," he said softly, hardly believing he was saying those words as she drank his blood.

Rin looked up at him, her eyes back to their cold color, now softened into the finest of icy blue satins. Her kiss was all the answer Kain needed.

His sudden awareness of his love for her overflowed, making him feel slightly feverish and dizzy, also an effect of sating her thirst for blood. As he kissed her endlessly, he searched desperately for a way to release his passion, letting his fingers work through her hair, stroke her bare throat, over her covered breast. They came to rest at her sash, before his passion commanded him to undo the knots that held her kimono closed.

Rin allowed herself to be drawn into bliss by Kain's kisses, but as soon as she felt her sash loosen, she drew back, putting a hand against his chest to tell him to stop.

She sat up with a sigh as he he also sat up, cupping her face and asking her with his eyes what was wrong.

Rin held his hands in hers, drawing them away from her face, but allowing them to rest on her lap. Kain was startled to see new tears on glistening on her face.

'I don't want to do this to you," she said slowly and softly, looking deep into his eyes, begging him to understand.

Kain raised one hand from her lap, placing it lightly against her cheek while wiping away her tears with his thumb.

"What's wrong?"

"Will you have it said that the first woman you made love to was a whore?"

Kain was shocked into silence. He tried to stop himself, but he involuntarily drew his hand away from her, replacing it on her lap. Now it was Rin's turn to cup his face with her hands, turning him gently to look into her eyes.

_10 years ago_

_She had a strange feeling when he entered her room, of prickling anxiety and fear of something dangerously familiar. And instead of the dull, emotionlessness she usually felt, she felt only fear, and a most curious blend of _need_, as he came to her for what she was forced to offer._

_She kept her fear in check as the dark haired man drew himself over her, slipping her poor excuse for a shift over her shoulders. They came to the point where they had both come to the brink of allowing their bodily limitations to fall, so that nothing but desire and lust existed between them. No love. Only lust. She remembered then, who he was. And as the memory hit her, a great intoxicating need filled her with a hunger for the blood in his veins. She gasped with the need, and pressed herself against him, trying to reach the vein which pulsed in his neck, only to be stopped by the barrier of his lips pushing hers downward once more._

"_Please," she gasped, "Your blood…"_

_Rido laughed gently, before withdrawing, standing above her and boring his evil gaze into her eyes._

"_If you'll excuse me. I have business to deal with the Kuran 'princess'."_

"A few days after, I left looking for Kaname, hoping to find Rido, but he was already killed… And I was turned away from the door," Rin finished quietly, looking down at her hands like a stunned person who has barely made it through a traumatic experience alive. And she was.

Kain raised his hand, gently brushing away stray strands of hair from her face.

Rin turned to look at him, the pain deep in her eyes reflecting the shock in his. Slowly, she lowered her head to his shoulder, both of them too pain-filled to do anything but hold each other gently for a time.


	6. Vengeance and Friendship

**Yahoo!!! Next Chapter!!! XD My chapters are going to be longer from now on, as I'm going to try and fit at least one episode of VK in one chapter, so that this story doesn't end up too long... so ya...**

* * *

Rin woke up at dusk in the protective circle of Kain's arms, deep in a feeling of peace. She smiled softly to herself as she stared lovingly at his still sleeping face. She watched calmly as his eyelid slowly lifted. His newly awakened gaze caught hers, and his eyebrows lifted a fraction as he noticed her gaze didn't show any signs of wavering.

"What?" he asked suspiciously, betraying his self-consciousness.

Rin smiled, and lifted her hand to put it gently against his cheek. The other hand went to the sash of her kimono, still knotted and untampered at her waist.

"Thank you," she said, so simple, and yet it meant the world to them both.

**I****chiou's Arrival**

Rin stood amongst the Night Class members, all of them turned out in different attires from their usual uniforms, all for the arrival of Ichijou's grandfather. The news had generally created some atmosphere of apprehension amongst the vampires, and there were many who muttered amongst their friends.

Rin chose to stand on her own once more, leaning against the banister of the great sweeping stairs and silently observing everyone with icy eyes. Her gaze fell fondly on Kain, who looked good out of his uniform. Feeling her gaze on him, Kain turned slightly to return it, in turn appreciating Rin's slender form, hugged around the waist by black breeches and a flowing, black silk top with a blue sash. She looked quite somber compared to before, except for the fact that she wore black, heeled boots.

Kain let a discreet smile, aimed specially at her, flit across his lips. Rin stared for a moment, then smiled too. Somehow, Kain managed to keep abreast of the conversation his companions were holding.

The arrival of Kaname, however, surprised everyone.

"Kaname?!" Ichijou looked up to where the pureblood was descending the stairs, running up a few steps to meet him almost halfway. On his way down, Kaname spared a half glance for Rin, telling her with his eyes that he didn't approve of her presence completely.

"It's okay, it's nothing for you to go out of your way for," Ichijou babbled on, his voice revealing his nervousness. "I'm sure he's just come to have some words with me."

"I haven't seen Ichijou in a while. I just want to greet him," Kaname said casually. Then, in a lower, more threatening voice he asked, "Is that wrong?"

"It's not wrong, but…"

All of a sudden, the vampires were aware of a different presence, dauntingly old and powerful, waiting outside the double doors of the a gust of cold wind and mist, the doors burst open, revealing the tall and imposing figure of Asatoo Ichijou.

"Such a lively welcome," he said, walking in amongst the assembled Night Class. "However, I am only here to see the cute face of my grandson. There is nothing for you to abase yourselves over," he continued, stepping towards Kaname as he said this.

Kaname stepped forward, putting forth his greetings with a chill formality.

"Ichiou, it's nice to see that you're healthy above anything else."

"The time when you abruptly rejected me as your guardian; it's been a while since then, Kaname-sama."

"I didn't want to be spoiled."

The air grew tense as the two vampires looked into each others' eyes, their smiles barely reaching into their gazes.

Rin watched the pair with growing interest. She noted how Ichiou's gaze flitted to Kaname's neck.

"Purebloods are different from us nobles. Even if your whole body is stained with blood, you still wont be tainted," Ichiou said. "Just like the everlasting fragrance of flowers," Here, Rin actually laughed, her voice low and husky. Mockingly she made a statement that shocked everyone, including Kain.

"Actually, if you pour blood over flowers, you'll find that their fragrance wont quite be the same."

Ichiou paused, trying to hide his surprise at being interrupted. His gaze bore deep into Rin's unflinching one before he continued, choosing to ignore this vampire who was nothing but an ex-human, and about to fall to E-Class at that. He knelt quite suddenly, taking Kaname's hand and raising it to eye-level.

"That overflowing youth… Power… Beauty… I honestly hope that one day I'll be able to share in your incomparable blood."

"Dream on," Rin appeared suddenly behind Takuma, still drilling her glacier gaze insistently into Ichiou's choice of ignoring her. She took a step, placing herself beside Aidou.

In a flash Ruka had pushed Kaname away from Ichiou, while Aidou snatched away the hand that had held Kaname's.

"I'm sorry, Kaname-sama, but…" Ruka's words died away, interrupted by Aidou's declaration of: "Your joke goes too far!"

Ichiou was silent; expressionless.

"The girl of Souen and the son of Aidou, huh?" Ichiou turned his gaze on Aidou, who glared at him, his aqua eyes becoming a softer version of Rin's.

"It is the highest taboo of a vampire to draw blood from a pureblood!"

Ichiou simply gazed silently at Aidou. This rankled him, making him frustrated at Ichiou's lack of expression.

"I do not fear you!"

All of a sudden he was quickly pulled back by Rin, who stepped forward to take his place, at the same time raising an arm to block the ringing slap from Kaname which was meant for Aidou. It all happened in a split second, and Aidou looked somewhat stunned as he watched Rin and Kaname pit their gazes against each other. Slowly, Rin lowered her arm, and so did Kaname. Ichiou, given no choice but to acknowledge Rin, asked mockingly: "And you, ex-human?"

Rin bristled at his cruel, but true insult, her hair waving around her like lashing vines.

"_I am Rin Kage, only daughter to Tade Kage, straight descendant of the founderess of the Gypsy sorceress bloodline, the _ababina._ As the only present descendant of Nishi Kage, I demand to know why you refused to marry her as a part of the long history of peace between the Kages and the vampire nobles! The result of which was the need to find a pureblood groom for the daughter born four generations after Nishi in order to restore our magic to it's original strength. A pureblood groom whose dark soul ended up destroying what he was offered anyway, when my mother -his bride- discovered his true nature and rejected him!" _Rin's voice rose in anger and passion, her eyes glinting with a feiry spirit. Her figure seemed to rise, seemed to become regal, matched with her commanding voice, until almost all the vampires felt that they must kneel to this woman, who was so lowly in their world, yet claimed such a strong bloodline in another as to challenge even Kaname's purest of blood.

The room was stunned into absolute silence. Rin's gaze burned deep into Ichiou's searching for any trace of guilt, any trace to show that he felt sorry for what he did to her, to her clan. Seeing none, Rin stepped forward, slowly bringing one hand backward in preparation for delivering clan vengeance upon Ichiou. Before she could, a slap rang hard and loud in the room, stinging her cheek with unbridled strength.

Rin's hand went to her cheek as she gasped with shock. All other vampires were just as shocked as her, except maybe Kaname –who dealt the blow- and Ichiou. Ruka looked at Rin with something akin to fear, mingled with respect and apology. Kain looked at her with pain, shock and amazement. Aidou looked at her, stunned, yet thankful, with also a hint of new-found respect. For a while everything was frozen in this manner.

And then Kaname was bowing apologetically to Ichiou, and everything moved again.

"It seems appears that some discipline was lost."

Ichiou simply looked at Kaname, pausing for a while before speaking again.

"It's because Kaname-sama is around that I can feel at ease about leaving my grandson in this academy, though I do not approve of mingling with ex-humans," Ichiou gave a pointed look at Rin, who glared quietly back at him, still holding her stinging cheek. Ichiou knelt gracefully once more, raising Kaname's hand to his lips.

"My lord."

Once the other vampires retired to their rooms, leaving Ichiou and Takuma to talk alone, Kain pulled Rin to the side, waiting while the corridors emptied before talking to her. As soon as the last vampire had shut the door to his room, Kain grabbed Rin around the shoulders, forcing her to face him. He tenderly ran his fingers over her slapped cheek, worry and slight anger obvious in his eyes. With a sigh, he finished his inspection of her and drew her into a tight, relieved embrace, which she returned. He drew apart slowly, looking her in the eye.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked brokenly, guilt and hurt flashing through his eyes, his stance, as he cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes, pushing her slightly against the wall.

Rin sighed. "You would have stopped me. Do you want to know how I knew about Ichiou?" At Kain's nod, she told the story.

"For the past few years since I came to the Night Class, I've spent my holidays with my mother's cousins, and while with them, I discovered that they held the records to the clan's marriages. Remembering what Rido had mentioned about vampires and my family, I decided to read through the records, wondering if I could find any distant relations in the Night Class. Instead, I found that four generations before my mother had been born, our ancestor, Nishi Kage, was planned to marry a vampire by the name of Asatoo Ichijou. Asatoo Ichijou, however, rejected the already accepted offer by his parents. Since Nishi Kage was unable to marry a vampire, it was decided that the next child to marry a vampire would have to marry a pureblood, in order to revive the old strength of the Kage magic. Tade however, discovered the true nature of her pureblood suitor, and so rejected him, bringing his curse upon her and I. In a way it is Ichiou's fault that all this has happened to me," Rin concluded, finishing the narration of how she found out about the relationship between her ancestor and Ichiou.

Kain sighed and embraced Rin even stronger this time.

"Did you have to do it that way? You defied Kaname again."

"I have a right to it. It's clan vengeance… but let's not talk about something that's passed and we can't do anything about."

Wordlessly, Kain nodded, lowering his face in response to Rin's raised one in order to let their lips meet in a tired, but happy and relieved kiss.

They stayed in the corridor a while more, simply enjoying each others' company, until Ruka arrived from Kaname's office, looking crushed.

"Yo," Kain said quietly.

Both Rin and Kain looked askance at Ruka as she stopped her trudge down the corridor. Rin tilted her head up to look at Kain, motioning for him to sit down. They both slid down to the floor with their backs against the wall, still keeping their eyes on Ruka.

"Sit down," Rin said softly, patting the floor beside her. She decided it would be better if she tried to make friends with Ruka, instead of fighting her.

Kain was surprised to hear Rin being kind and polite to Ruka, but was thankful that she didn't appear to harbour any enmity towards the blonde.

Ruka looked at them both, then slowly went and sat beside Rin with a sigh. Rin tilted her head kindly towards her.

"What's wrong?"

Ruka looked sadly down at her knees, hugging them to her chest. She sighed morosely.

"Even though you already know, Kaname-sama had no desire to drink my blood. I wished it for myself… but my wishes didn't come true!" Ruka's eyes started to tear, and she angrily dashed them away with her palm, hugging her knees tighter.

Kain was surprised to see Rin put her hand on Ruka's shoulder and keep it there, the contact making Ruka stiffen for a moment, but later allowing her to relax.

Ruka sobbed for a while, but after a few sniffles, she wiped her tears away with her hand and she looked at Rin gratefully. Rin returned her gaze encouragingly.

"Kaname wanted my blood when I first came to this academy, but at that time it was only once…"

Kain sighed and shifted position, to get closer to Rin and Ruka. He met Rin's gaze, briefly, before saying slowly, "So it would seem…" Kain looked at Rin in shock, realizing they had said it in unison. Rin smiled, then turned her attention to Ruka.

Rin sighed, briefly, then spoke.

"Having your blood drank by the vampire you love is something one'd never forget… It is giving your love to that person in a deeper way than humans can manage," she said, looking down at the floor with a small smile on her lips.

"By drinking each other's blood, we try and fill our thoughts. At the very least, to that person, it means your blood is not enough," Kain added.

Ruka's face twisted with pain, and Rin gently patted her shoulder to comfort her.

"Even if I like him this much," Ruka whispered, her voice strained over with shards of pain. "In the past up until now, I still don't understand what Kaname-sama is thinking. How foolish I am!"

Rin pursed her lips thoughtfully, and shifted to put her arm around Ruka's shoulders in a companionable way.

"I thought much of the same thing, at first. Love rips your heart, tears away your humanity. Fools like you and I become cruel and ugly when we can't get what we want. But if you just act like you've got it already, you'll find that you're beautiful. And free. Sometimes you'll find that what you want isn't actually as good as what you ignore."

The trio were thoughtfully quiet for a while, and the hall was filled with a peaceful quiet, the three of them sitting together in a warm, golden aura of friendship. As the night wore on, Ruka slowly stood up, facing Rin, who sat in Kain's arms smiling up at her kindly.

"Thank you," Ruka said, returning Rin's smile warmly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"How did you come to be an ex-human?"

Rin's smile faltered, and she looked back at Ruka with a grim expression.

"It's a long story. Kain can tell you what he knows, just come to him when you want, then I can fill in any other things you want to know."

"Thank you, again," Ruka smiled, then left the two to return to her room.

**Heehee! Keep reviewing guys!! you must stop me from picking up another writer's block!!! :D  
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	7. Crystal Scrying

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! I don't want to pick up another writer's block!! They're horrifying!!! xD  
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* * *

The next night practically every vampire and Day Class student was talking about the upcoming dance. Rin ignored them. She caught the stares of many of the vampires though, including Kaname. Everyone was shocked to see her wearing the Night Class uniform. Strangely though, Ruka didn't appear to be as shocked as everyone else.

"I wonder why?" Aidou said wonderingly. Kain didn't reply, as he was busy staring at Rin's back, a small frown of puzzlement on his face.

"It's because she gained some respect and distinction among us last night, and so she's returning that respect by making herself equal with us," Ruka replied, coming up beside Aidou and Kain as they exchanged facilities with the Day Class. Aidou and Kain were too stunned to make a reply, so they simply walked side by side, all three of them watching Rin with a higher regard for her.

Rin sat on a table with Ruka, Aidou (her two new-found friends) and Kain standing around her, while waiting for the teacher to come in. The three of them weren't discussing anything in particular; in fact, they were eavesdropping on Ichijou and Shiki.

"A late-coming transfer student, huh? Mysterious isn't it? I smell a crime,"

At this Rin looked around at her friends, putting on an exaggerated puzzled expression and shrugging her shoulders.

"I wonder who it is?" she whispered thoughtfully. Kain and Aidou shrugged, Ruka frowning thoughtfully while keeping an eye on Kaname and waiting to see if he'd mention anything about it. They turned back to listening in on Shiki and Ichijou.

"Are you talking about the book you read yesterday?"

"It appears she really is coming here- the transfer student," Rima said, joining the conversation quietly.

"'She' huh?" Aidou said speculatively, but not exactly enthusiastically. Rin looked at him briefly, a little apprehensive about his reaction. He didn't look too happy about a new female transfer student, and Rin had a feeling that Aidou's instincts were strong when it came to intuition. She turned back to the three vampires who were talking.

Shiki stuck three chocolate pocky sticks into his mouth at once, not bothering to comment about Rima's statement.

"WAH! My chocolate pocky!" Aidou yelled suddenly, looking at Shiki with an outraged expression on his face. Kain, Rin and Ruka, realizing that their cover was blown, turned their backs on him, pretending to discuss something amongst themselves and showing no signs of overhearing what Ichijou, Shiki and Rima were talking about.

"I was thinking of giving to Kuran dormitory president!" Aidou ranted on, actually leaving his friends to walk a few steps towards confronting Shiki. "Today's enjoyment has disappeared," Aidou sighed resignedly, turning away from Shiki looking much like someone whose greatest hope in life has wilted.

A sudden childish giggle called the attention of the Night Class to the student who they had failed to notice. She was sitting on the teacher's table at the front of the class, her pastel grey hair flowing in a straight, milky river over her slim shoulders. As her presence was acknowledged, the air grew tense and apprehensive around her, the vampires staring, not sure of how to respond.

Her lavender eyes glinted with something akin to amusement as she giggled, "I'm glad it's an amusing class."

Rin, immediately ticked off by this girl's bold, childish attitude, retorted, "To you, it might be!" scowling with disdain and assaulting the girl by slamming her hard gaze down on her.

The new girl simply stared back at Rin, the small smirk on her lips and glinting eyes never changing as she watched Kain come up behind Rin and put a restraining hand on her shoulder. She giggled softly again.

"Isn't class starting yet?"

Aidou stared at the girl with wide eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly, using the slightly impolite version of addressing someone (omae).

"'Omae'?" the girl tilted her head thoughtfully in Aidou's direction, weighing him with her gaze as a predator would prey. It was an eerie sight to see her take a small leap, floating through the air, like a dream hiding a nightmare, until she came to stand on the desk in front of Aidou. Everyone watched as she cupped his face, boring deep into his gaze.

"Hey you…" she said, using a more polite term than Aidou (kimi). Everyone noticed how her voice had changed. From high-pitched and childish it had gone to a lower, more seductive and menacing tone, like the coils of a beautiful snake basking in the midday sun.

"By 'you' (omae), do you mean 'me'?" she said, dangerously.

"The new girl would do well to give her name, Maria Kurenai," Kaname said, abruptly shutting the book he had been reading, saving Aidou with his timely interruption of Maria's torture session.

Maria looked up at Kaname, releasing Aidou from her spell. With a friendly smile she floated to land on Kaname's table, kneeling before him on the tabletop while taking both his hands in her own, lifting them close to her face.

"I'm sorry for giving you misunderstandings, Kaname-sama!" she said, moving back to her annoyingly childish voice and looking up at Kaname with sickly, sweet, adoring eyes.

Kaname endured it all with a blank face, allowing her to keep hold of his hands like a puppet's. He stared down at Maria blankly.

"Ah! To finally meet a pureblood! I'm so happy!" Maria smiled and giggled ecstatically, closing her eyes and rubbing her cheek over Kaname's hands.

Both Aidou and Ruka, upon seeing this, gasped indignantly, their faces lighting up in angered jealousy and outrage.

Rin twisted her lips to bare one of her fangs in a scowl, making a _tsk_ sound of disapproval, and glaring at Maria.

"Oh, really? How disgusting, to force your head on his hands like dog searching for treats."

Kain looked at Rin, shocked, though he could tell that she was only joining in for fun and for the fact that she thoroughly disliked Maria Kurenai for her mannerisms.

Almost at the same time as Rin's statement, Kaname blankly replied to Maria's antics with a totally expressionless and only enduring voice, saying, "Pleased to meet you."

Maria finally seemed to realize that the other vampires hadn't taken her overly-sweet adoration of Kaname well.

"I'm sorry. It seems that somehow I've made the atmosphere bad," she said, releasing Kaname's hands and standing up to address the whole class. "For the time being, it would seem best if I were absent, okay?" She floated away, sparing a glance for the on-looking vampires like a superior woman glancing at a child clutching at her skirts.

"What's with that girl?!" Ruka said, outraged. Rin got down from the desk she was sitting on, and came to stand beside Ruka.

"I dislike her too," she said, her voice low and harsh, like a growl. She was still scowling distastefully. "Though I don't care about what she does with Kaname, her antics leave a bad taste in my mouth."

Kain looked from Rin to Ruka, both girls looking like a pair of snarling wolves with their hackles raised. It was quite a striking sight, to see the blonde and the ebony-haired woman standing together, wearing almost the exact same expression, the exact same angered stance. Kain sighed.

"Oy, you girls, don't get that angry. If you cross your eyebrows, wrinkles will become one of your traits,"

"It's none of your business!" Ruka snapped, indignant, her honey-ash hair glinting in the light as if they too, were glinting with irritation like her hazel eyes. Her fine fingers clenched into fists like boulders threatening to avalanche.

Rin arched her brows, acting splendidly superior, the two coal-black slivers rising like twin peaks above her sharp, glacier eyes.

"'You girls'? With that line, people'd think that we were nothing but fangirls,"

At Kain's sudden crushed expression from her cutting remark, Rin smiled and put her head against his shoulder.

"Just joking,"

With a sigh and a frown on her face Rin went back to sitting on the table, pondering on Maria Kurenai. Hearing footsteps, she looked up to see Aidou walking towards the door, wearing a frown similar to hers.

"Hey, Hanabusa!" Kain said, sensing that his cousin was going to skip class yet again and probably get himself into trouble. Kain was ignored.

Rin, still frowning, also stood up from where she was sitting, and without a word to Ruka and Kain, also left the classroom. Ruka and Kain looked at Kaname to see if he would make any move to stop them. He didn't.

"Eh?" Ruka and Kain said in unison, looking at each other with taken aback expressions. Their two friends had suddenly left them. Kain sighed, wondering what Rin was up to. She had better not earn another slap from Kaname, he thought grimly.

Rin came up beside Aidou on the terrace, watching Zero pull his gun on Maria Kurenai, a close to maniacally angered expression on his face. The two vampires watched the scene in silence.

Once Maria Kurenai left, Rin sat on the edge of the terrace, looking back at the mansion windows of the classrooms with a grim expression.

"That kind of a reaction from Zero, along with her suspiciously childish and somewhat crazy mannerisms… It makes me suspicious," She said, her voice hardened into seriousity. Aidou didn't have to reply, thinking much of the same thing.

The next night, the fangirls were even more ecstatic and full of energy than the night before. There were even some boys from the Day Class who were looking out for girls from the Night Class.

Ruka, Kain and Aidou were walking together, along with Rin, who stood out strikingly among the blonde heads of her companions.

"Ruka-chan! Be my dance partner!"

Ruka twitched her brows and clenched her teeth with irritation, but chose to ignore them, walking forward without sparing a glance for the over-zealous Class-Rep from Yuuki's class. Next they passed a gaggle of "Wild-senpai" and "Idol-senpai" girls, all screaming for attention. Strangely, Aidou didn't spare a glance for them either.

The four friends were surprised when they passed a group of men yelling:

"Rin-chan! Please, can I have you as my dance partner?!"

This brought an irritated twitch to Rin's lips, who would otherwise have been expressionless and cold the whole time.

"I hate being called 'chan'" she whispered through clenched jaws. Looking back to where Kaname was speaking with Ichijou, she quickly took Kain by the hand and left the path.

"We'll join you again in a while," she called to Ruka and Aidou.

"We'll cover for you," Ruka said, knowing that what Rin had in mind would probably involve breaking the hearts of more than half the Day Class girls and some of the guys. She didn't mind. They deserved it for harrassing them all the time.

Rin led Kain off the path, bringing him to a tree several paces away. Aware that her fanboys and Kain's fangirls had gone speculatively silent, she put one hand on Kain's chest, and used the other to tilt his chin downward. She kissed him passionately, aware that she had managed to surprise Kain as well as the Day Class students who saw. She drew back with a smile on her face and led a stunned Kain back to the path, where many Day Class girls were giving her death-glares she was impervious to, and Day Class boys were likewise glaring at Kain. Some were weeping exaggeratedly.

Rin simply laughed, and tugged Kain to catch up with Ruka and Aidou.

"Don't blame me if you have a boring night at the dance, Rin," he said, smiling lovingly at the ebony-haired girl in front of him.

"Nah, some boys are actually more determined than they appear to be," she said, smiling back at him. "And some girls," she added, to the chagrin of Kain.

* * *

After classes Rin sat alone in her room with the porch door open, having an exquisite tea of rose petals, cinnamon, a dangerous amount of nutmeg, and ginger. She drank from a plain, yet graceful cup with no handle, made from the finest pottery clay, glazed with a delicate pink that reflected in blue and green. Rin gazed into it, entranced, while the golden-red tea trickled down her throat.

With a sigh she got up from her chair, putting the cup gently down on the table. She walked gracefully towards her bedside table, a dreamy expression on her face as she opened the drawer and pulled out something wrapped in black velvet.

Her black kimono and cloak drifted around her as she half walked, half floated back towards the table. As the nutmeg started to take effect she unwrapped what was a quartz crystal ball, settling it on its bed of velvet on her lap. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she levelled her breathing, deepening it and making each breath equal. When she opened her eyes again, they were all of a sudden clear, and hard, gazing straight into the crystal ball.

"Show me," she said, her voice taking on a chillingly unexpected tone of dark command.

* * *

With a sigh, Rin came out of her gazing trance, closing her eyes for a while before placing the crystal ball on the table. She took the empty cup she had drank from in one hand, pouring more tea with the other. This tea didn't have nutmeg in it.

"Tea?"

"It was much more unnerving when your mother would do the scrying."

Yagari walked into Rin's room from the porch, taking off his cowboy hat and placing it on his lap as he sat down across from Rin.

Rin poured him some tea in a cup similar to hers, handing it to him from across the table.

"What were you Looking for?" Yagari asked, as Rin sipped her tea.

Rin looked at him, expressionless, before setting her cup back down on the table.

"'That woman'" she said. Yagari's eye widened.

"What about her?"

Rin paused. Yagari was her father, but even so, should she tell him everything?

"The crystal told me that her soul is alive, but her body isn't. I interpreted that from symbols, so I'm not sure if it's accurate. And she's planning something. I wasn't able to See what, though."

**Enjoy... gaah... nothing much happened in this chapter, and I feel pretty glum... Cheer me up with reviews...**

**P. Viper  
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	8. Dancing from a Distance

**YAHOOOOO!!!! hehehe... i actually picked up something that had potential to become a writer's block, but... I HAVE OVERCOME IT!!! YEAH!!! XD**

**This chapter is somewhat short... but i've realized that although writing super long chapters helps keep me from making this story super long, it makes my writing boring and anti-climactic...**

**oh yeah... please excuse the dance scenes... i'm not a dancer, so i can't really describe it that properly... . Enjoy!!  
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* * *

Rin looked at herself critically in the mirror. Gold bangles hooped around her wrists, her hair caught up in a pile that spilled stray black curls over her bare neck, pinned to her scalp by a set of gold pins. Her collarbone rose above the neckline of a fairly simple, light blue blouse with gold thread embroidery around the edges, hugged _very_ tightly to her waist by a purple sash. More light blue satin cascaded from her hips in glossy ruffles and tiers. Her hands and feet were finely tattooed in abstract patterns of henna.

Rin took a deep breath, satisfied with her outfit for the evening. Anklets chinked softly as she walked, barefoot, out the door. Tonight, everything that the crystal told her about would happen.

* * *

Kain frowned, mulling over what he and Aidou had discovered. Remembering the sight of Shizuka's body suspended in a casement of glittering ice still sent phantoms fingers trailing chills down his spine. _I should tell Kaname-sama._

Kain frowned. Aidou would probably do something stupid again. And there was the possibility of Rin getting dragged into things too. Kain looked down frustratedly, clenching his jaw. Deep inside him he could feel the first bubble of confusion and roiling emotion begin to rise.

_Rin. Where is she? _ he thought._ I wonder if she knows? Should I tell her?No. Knowing her, she'll interfere with Kaname's plans again._ He swore softly to himself in frustration. How could he not tell her? He knew the arrival of Hiou Shizuka would greatly affect the future of the Night Class.

Kain walked slowly through the crowds of Day Class and Night Class students, looking out for the ebony haired vampire. His impatience and slight anger grew as he paced around the hall.

He was moving away from the main entrance when he heard sighs of admiration and awe coming from a group of Day Class girls.

"Wow! Like an exotic dancer!"

"Look she's barefoot!"

"She has to be a Night Class senpai! It's impossible for someone like her to be in the Day Class!"

Kain was too upset to keep his composure. He spun around too quickly, nearly tripping over his own feet as he turned to meet Rin's gaze. Barely pausing to regain his balance, he strode over to Rin, cupping her face a little hastily.

"Woah," Rin said, her bangles clinking softly as she put her hand against his chest. Before she could ask what was wrong, Kain lead her to a shadowed corner, where they were hidden by the pillars. With a strangled sigh, Kain pulled her against him, nearly crushing her in his embrace as he bent down to put his cheek against hers. Her scent was different tonight. It wasn't lemon, cloves and cinnamon. It was jasmine and star-anise, but still, it was her, so he was comforted.

Rin stayed still and expressionless through it all, only lifting her hand to put it against his shoulder.

"You can't tell me, can you?" she said softly, expressionlessly. _Knowingly._ Kain stayed silent with shame.

"I'm sorry," he whispered wretchedly, his breath stroking her bare skin in attempted reconciliation.

Rin pulled slowly away from him, looking calmly into Kain's eyes. She gently put her hand in his, still maintaining contact through their gazes.

"Dance with me,"

* * *

Rin led Kain through a Gypsy (or as Rin said: Rom) dance. Her tightly bound waist was a lithe snake beneath his hands, as she clapped her hands above her head to the lively tune, her bare feet tap-dancing, her skirt whirling like in flamenco. She spun around him, plummeting in a swirl that ended as Kain caught her, bringing their faces challengingly close, Rin's brows arching and her arms whiplashing like saplings dancing the tango. Her tattooed hands danced with her, the markings looking as if they were twining themselves around her wrists, like the creeping of a briar against a marble pillar.

The rest of the dancers were but spectators, unable to find a suitable ballroom dance to go with the piece Rin had requested of the ensemble that played specially for that night.

As the dance drew to a dramatic close, Rin and Kain bowed formally to each other, before moving of into the crowd once more. Their return to the crowd was met by loud applause and wistful sighs from the Day Class girls. Slowly, the other dancers returned to the dance floor, still muttering over the show of Rin and Kain.

Kain leaned against a pillar with a sigh, raking his hair back with his fingers. Rin walked silently to his side, pausing to put her hand softly on his shoulder. Before he could take her hand, before he could look up, she was gone.

"Shit!" Kain muttered softly to himself, straightening up against the pillar, looking around quickly for Rin. He couldn't find her. _She knows, dammit, she knows! That's why she was so cold and uncaring! Dammit, dammit, shit! _The frantic words etched themselves across Kain's mind, making the bubble of panic rise inside him once more.

"Ah! Kain!"

Kain turned to meet the gaze of Ichijou, surrounded by his gaggle of fangirls.

"Where'd Rin go? I never knew you two were such good dancers! Won't you join us?" Ichijou smiled at Kain over the heads of his adorers.

Kain sweat-dropped, the thought of joining them nearly making him shudder.

"I'll have to refuse that offer," he said, a little uncertainly "I have some urgent business…"

"Really? That's too bad…"

Kain knew Ichijou would ask what his business was, but luckily he was saved from answering by the timely interruption of one of Ichijou's fangirls.

"Hey, isn't it time to change the group you're dancing with?" Kain turned away from them with a sigh, just managing to hide his disgust as the girls began squabbling like a flock of geese over who would dance with Ichijou next.

* * *

"Shit!" Rin cursed loudly as she heard several gunshots ring out in the building she was in. Putting her hand through a hidden slit in her skirt, she drew out a thin rapier, holding it pointing downwards to the side, while with her other hand, she hitched up her skirt and ran down the corridor faster.

* * *

**Yay!! Finished!!**

**I have a problem here: I'm worried that this story will get too long, but at the same time, I don't want to divide it into a sequel, because less people will read it... my friend suggests that i should though... but i'm not so sure... what do you think?? .**


	9. Uncrossable

**NEXT CHAPTER!!! I'M ON A ROLL!!! WOOHOO!!! XD HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I CELEBRATE WITH NEW CHAPTERS!!! (and hopefully reviews xD) ENJOY!!!  
**

* * *

Rin knelt beside Shizuka, letting her rapier drop to the floor. Moving swiftly and surely, like a doctor, Rin opened the pureblood's kimono and put her hands to Shizuka's chest, letting the blood seep over them.

"What… are you doing?" Shizuka said softly, looking at Rin calmly with her deep eyes.

"The herbs I used to tattoo my hands will stimulate your healing powers," Rin replied emotionlessly as she continued soaking her hands in the space where Shizuka's heart once was. Shizuka gasped with pain as Rin pressed her hands deeper into the ragged hole Kaname had torn.

"Why are you doing this?"

Rin didn't reply as she lifted her hands, now soaked in blood, the tattoos washed off. She began to lick her hands clean, watching Shizuka's gaping wound close over the empty hole as the powerful herbs began to take effect.

"It's no use. I still can't live without a heart,"

Rin gazed down expressionlessly at Shizuka. "It will make you last a bit longer. That's all I need,"

"Whose… servant are you?"

Rin paused. Letting her now clean hands drop to her side. Her face was blank and cold, though tears streaked unnoticed down her cheeks.

"I don't wish to be his servant… The one… we all wish destroyed…" she said softly.

* * *

"NO!" Ichiru burst into the room, his broken gaze crashing into Rin's steady blue one. Rin gazed unsympathetically back at him, not bothering to hide the bite mark on Shizuka's neck or the phial she was using to catch the fiery-red drops of blood.

With a strangled sob, Ichiru stumbled forward, just as Rin stood up to let him go to Shizuka's side.

"She'll last a few seconds longer with the herbs I used," Rin said coldly, looking down on Ichiru unflinchingly while she tucked the stoppered phial into a fold in her sash. "My condolences."

"Curse you!" Ichiru wept, holding Shizuka's limp body tenderly, clutching the pureblood's fine fingers against his cheek.

Rin looked politely away as she heard Ichiru's tears patter softly onto Shizuka's skin.

"What's the matter? Why are you crying like a child? Did you truly love me?"

Rin watched as the room was slowly lit up with an eerie glow, countless little points of light falling upwards towards the ceiling from Shizuka's body.

"You were aware of my feelings, weren't you?" Ichiru said wretchedly and accusingly, weeping in his despairing sorrow.

"Do you wish for me to stay with you? I won't leave you alone," Shizuka said, still calm, still unmoved.

Rin watched impassively as Ichiru drank the last of Shizuka's blood. She didn't bother to tell Ichiru that the footsteps running unevenly down the corridor were Zero's.

* * *

Zero burst into the room with a strangled cry, as the circle of pain around his heart grew tighter. His vision blurred as he stumbled, and when it cleared again, he found himself cradled in Rin's arms.

"Shizuka-sama's blood is stimulating and stirring the Level-E in you, right Zero? But it's already too late," Ichiru said coldly, standing up with Shizuka's empty body in his arms, not bothering to face his twin.

With a final, tired glow, Shizuka's body burst into crystal fragments, falling to the floor in scattered shards as the last fragment of light flew upwards, to be caught in Ichiru's palm. Ichiru brought his closed fist down, holding it to his chest.

"As expected, up to the very end, she still refused my blood. In the end, to her, I was nothing but a-"

"Y-you're wrong," Zero said through clenched jaws, his breath coming in short gasps. "She wanted you… to remain… as you are… She didn't want… to turn you into a vampire…"

Rin held Zero around the shoulders with one arm, while with the other she pulled the phial out of her sash, pulling out the stopper with her teeth.

"Once again… Once again, it's you! Unlike you, I was always by her side! How could _you _understand that when _I _didn't?!" Ichiru yelled, picking up the rapier Rin had dropped and charging at Zero.

"Shit!" Rin dropped the stopper of the phial, reaching up to pull out the pins holding up her hair. Desperately, she stood up, balancing the phial in one hand, while with the other she threw the sharp, golden needles straight at Ichiru's chest in an attempt to stop his wild charge. Rin swore as Ichiru charged, knocking away the pins.

"Don't try to stop me!"

Barely on time to stop Ichiru's wild charge, Rin reached into the folds of her skirt, bringing out a dagger. Sparks flew from the blades as Rin used the rapier's blade as a ramp to Ichiru's unguarded upper-arm. The dagger was too short. Rin jumped to the side again, dodging as Ichiru angrily blocked her attack, changing the swing of the blade towards Rin's chest.

Rin regained her balance with a grunt of exertion, bringing her dagger up just in time to block the blade which aimed to slash open her chest. The rapier changed swing yet again, kissing her with a slash that opened a cut over her cheekbone.

Sparks flew wildly, dying in the air as steel cried out in a sorrowful song of hate and anger; desperation and defensiveness. Behind the clashing pair, Zero gasped with pain, clutching his neck and hugging his chest as he spasmed.

"I-Ichiru… There is also someone I wouldn't want turned into a vampire, no matter what happens…"

Rin, hearing the words, faltered in her defense. Tears of sympathy rose inside her as she looked at Zero's crumpled form. _It'll break his heart, once he finds out- _A mistake. Rin's line of thought was interrupted as a flash of pain starting from her elbow ran down her arm. Rin cried out in pain as Ichiru twisted the rapier's blade, caught in her bangles as it sliced open her palm, revealing the cartilage and tendons that connected to her fine fingers. The phial she had held in her hand fell to the floor and shattered, spilling the last of Shizuka's precious blood that Rin had saved for Zero. Rin's eyes smarted with pain and anger as she looked down at the shards of the broken phial.

"Damn you… I… didn't want to hurt you… You shouldn't do this to your brother, Ichiru… He never asked for what Shizuka gave him…"

Ichiru, tired from the burst of sudden energy that anger and sorrow had lent him, looked down at the floor, untangling the rapier from Rin's jewelry and letting it drop to the floor. Resigned, but still vengeful, he strode angrily towards Zero, hauling him up by his collar.

"You really are unsightly now, Zero. You're not the Zero I used to detest and admire. You're already a Level-E," he said whispered heatedly, letting go of Zero's collar to stand up. With a gasp Zero fell, caught in Rin's arms before he could hit the floor. Rin held him as he reached towards his twin.

"I-Ichi-ru…" But he was already gone.

Zero gagged with pain as he writhed in Rin's arms.

"Drink my blood, Zero," Rin lifted her opened arm to Zero's lips, flinching slightly as Zero put his lips to the gash in her arm, desperately biting in with his fangs.

They were interrupted by footsteps running down the corridor. Zero recoiled from Rin's arm, letting his head drop. It still wasn't enough. Rin lay his head down gently on the floor, standing up as he instructed her softly, "Don't let… her see… me… Yuu..ki…"

Rin stood up in time, moving to the door swiftly, taking Yuuki's head in her uninjured arm and pressing the prefect's face to her chest in an impassive embrace.

Yuuki pulled away, her brown eyes searching Rin's face desperately. She opened her mouth with anxiety as she noticed the wound on Rin's arm and cheek. Before she could say anything, Rin explained.

"Zero's injured… You have to stop anyone who comes into this building from coming into that room… Understand?"

Yuuki looked back at her, worry deep in her eyes. She read all she needed to in Rin's eyes.

"Yes, senpai," she said, looking down at the ground as tears started to form in her eyes.

* * *

Kain stopped as he was about to exit the building. Blood. _Rin!_ He turned around quickly, running back into the building, following the scent of Rin's blood.

* * *

Rin stood quietly in the corner, hugging her arms to her chest as her father and the Chairman held Zero down.

"Take him to the infirmary, Yagari," the Chairman said sadly. "I'll deal with things here,"

Yagari lifted Zero's arm around his shoulders, sparing a glance for Rin as he left through the balcony window. Rin and the Chairman stayed silent, finding no wish to talk about the night's events.

Yuuki's voice floated down the corridor, the desperation easily discerned even from within the room.

"Senpai, please wait!" A pair of steady feet complemented the patter of Yuuki's running ones.

Kain and Yuuki burst into the room.

"Hey," the Chairman said calmly, taking hand of the things immediately. Rin ignored them, looking down at her arms blankly.

"Headmaster?" Kain said, somewhat unbelievingly. He looked at Rin, hurt evident in his eyes at finding her here. The pair gazed at each other, oblivious to the Chairman's conversation with Yuuki. Kain flinched, feeling the same pain as he gazed at Rin's lacerated arm. Blood dripped to the floor, though the wounds were already beginning to heal.

Rin's eyes were cold, blank, almost accusing. Kain gazed back at her, hurt and also accusing. Both were aware of each other's emotions, the blood bond they shared informing them of how each of them felt.

At that moment, the yawning distance that was born between them grew; uncrossable.

* * *

**WAAAAAH!!! This chapter makes me want to cry!!! . **

**On the other hand: YES!! I HAVE FINISHED INJECTING MY CHARACTER INTO THE FIRST SEASON!! WOOHOO!!!  
**


	10. Time Out of Time

**Yay!! woohoo!!! OK, this chapter is... well... pretty short.. but I really thought it was better of on its own :D**

**So, I'm still undecided on whether or not to make a sequel... I'm really afraid it'll cost me lots of hits...  
**

* * *

"Go," Rin said softly, her face blank. Only her lips showed emotion; slightly pinched with regret as she bid farewell to Kain as he left for the nobles' banquet with Ruka.

Kain looked back at her, worry and regret open on his face. He inclined his head sadly at Rin before leaving. Neither of them spoke of the distance between them that grew.

Rin watched Kain and Ruka grow smaller as they walked away, feeling the gap between her and Kain grow, and not just physically.

"Are you okay?" Ruka asked quietly, looking at Kain with an awkward kind of concern on her face. Kain looked back at her, his eyes worried and concerned, but not for the same reason.

"Ever since the dance, Rin's changed, hasn't she?" Ruka continued on, truly worried now about her two friends.

"But you two seemed fine… I mean, you danced," she added, even quieter and more wondering. Kain sighed, looking down at the ground morosely as they kept walking towards the car that waited patiently to take them to the banquet.

* * *

Rin woke in the darkest part of morning to see Kain off before he left for the Aidou mansion. She wasn't surprised to open her door to his face. Apparently he had stood there, fretting the time away, waiting for her to open the door.

"Good morning," Rin said, sarcasm evident in her voice. Kain stood there, looking down at Rin worriedly but not moving to let her pass. With a determined sigh, Kain took Rin by the shoulders, pushing her back into her room while shutting the door behind them.

Rin crossed her arms over her chest, turning her head to look elsewhere.

"Can't we talk?" Kain asked of her imploringly, putting one hand on her shoulder and cupping her face gently with the other, turning her face to look into his eyes. Rin let him turn her head, appearing unmoved by his pain, building an ice wall with her hardened eyes.

"Please?" Kain put his other hand to her cheek as well, cupping her face fully now, leaning down to put his forehead against hers. Rin shut her eyes slowly, her face still impassive, though Kain could feel that she was as tense as a stretched bowstring.

Rin sighed frustratedly through clenched jaws.

"Dammit, Akatsuki! I offered Kaname help to defeat his enemies, nearly offered him what I've given you so far-" Rin's voice rose by several notes, though her eyes were still shut and her forehead still pressed to Kain's- "and I was turned away from the door like my help was nothing but a piece of shit lying in the middle of a damned road! I've taught you to value what I'm giving you, but tell me, Oh loyal noble, did you learn your lesson?!" Rin opened her eyes, taking a step backwards and piercing Kain with her eyes.

"Are you going to blindly believe that Zero and I were the ones who killed Shizuka? You'd believe a person who had more chance of killing her than either of us did?" she hissed quietly, her words a falling hammer to strike a nerve in Kain, like the chords in a piano. Kain jerked his head back in shock, his gaze stumbling towards Rin's in a desperate attempt to see the truth in her eyes.

Then he saw; she was crying.

"Will you not trust me as much as you trust him?" she whispered quietly, hot tears pouring over her coal lashes and lining her pale cheeks with silver water.

The two of them stood facing each other for some moments, the pain in both their hearts and the silence in the room stretching a suffocating atmosphere over them both. Finally, Kain stepped between them, taking Rin in his arms as gently as if he were afraid of breaking her. He wasn't prepared for the blow Rin dealt him to the chest with her fist, knocking the air out of him and making him gasp as he lurched forward. He sealed the embrace with that stumbling step forward, and this time, Rin didn't resist; she held onto the fronts of his shirt and let her tears soak into the fabric quietly.

"I'm sorry," he said, the pain and love in his voice cloaking them in sorrowful relief that they were able to face the pain they caused each other. They clung on to each other like shipwrecks afraid of drowning in the deeps of the sea.

"Akatsuki," Rin said, barely breaking the silence, her voice soft and muffled like the sighing of wind through the highest branches of the tallest trees, lush with growing leaves.

Wordlessly, she put her hand to her sash, and worked the knot, letting it come loose and fall softly to the floor. She moved forward, and Kain felt her thighs pressed against his. He responded, clasped her to him as their lips met in a soft, but passionate kiss of reconciliation. He moved his hands up against the weave of the kimono to cup her face, then let his hands travel down once more, feeling himself quiver with the cool stroke of silk between his fingers and her flesh. The kiss continued as he slipped his hands to her slim waist, while one hand traveled lower. Then, in one, fluid motion of passion, he eased the folds of her kimono apart, letting his hands go under the silk, feeling her flesh warm at his touch as he explored her back in soft strokes, cupped and covered her heaving breasts.

Rin went taut as they kissed endlessly and he explored her, pressing herself harder against him. She pulled her lips away slowly, and let herself see the question in Kain's eyes as she allowed him to continue exploring her, as she let the silk slip off of her shoulders in one cool stream, revealing everything she was to him.

Kain looked wondrously at Rin's face as she ended the kiss. She was bathed in a strange light, every single hair and eyelash standing out, every crease in her eyelid and spot in the blue of her eyes, every detail looking so sweet as he gazed at her with longing. He was caught like a bug floating in amber, bathing in this vampire, this woman, this Rin. His Rin. He was transfixed as he watched her lick her lips, watched those lips part to reveal her fangs, watched them come closer and closer to his neck. He gave his blood with all the ecstacy of feeling her pierce his skin and drink; drink him lovingly, him and no one else.

While she drank, Rin unbuttoned Kain's already loose shirt, slipping it off his shoulders and taking her turn to know his body with her touch. They kissed again as she finished drinking, and completed bridging the distance between them in a bloody cycle as he trailed kisses down from her lips to her neck, sinking his fangs in and feeling his heart lift with the gasp that flew from her lips.

It was too easy to go on after that. They sealed their love and closed the distances between them in that dark hour, that alien time, where there are neither moon nor stars nor sun; the deepest of night and the earliest of morning. And for both of them: the time out of time.

* * *

**K... I guess since this chapter was pretty short I'm gonna have to write the next one quickly, right? heheh, no problem... unless I'm busy, that is.. :D hey, hey, I need reviews ok? and in case whoever's reading this doesn't have an account, I accept anonymous reviews!!**


	11. Vardo

**Yay!! A much longer chapter!! I really hope you enjoy this one, because I really worked hard on this :) **

**Oh ya, before you go ahead and read the chapter: a _vardo_ is the Gypsy/Rom term for a caravan.  
**

* * *

Rin woke as the afternoon sun hit her face, flooding the dark world beneath her eyelids with red, mapping out the whisper of veins in her eyes. With a groan of contentment she turned over onto her other side, opening her eyes as she faced Kain and watched his eyes flicker open, revealing their fiery amber color. She smiled as she slipped her bare arm around his neck, pulling herself against him and kissing him just as his eyes met hers. She kissed him passionately, letting herself revel in the electricity that ran up from the spot where she pressed her bare thigh against him, drank in the sweet warmth and wetness of his mouth, felt her heart thrash and flail wildly like a captured wildbird as her breasts were crushed against his chest in his embrace. Laughing softly against his lips, she was about to pull away, when Kain's grasp on her tightened as he rolled over her, supporting himself on his arms as he released her, letting her fall back into the matress.

They looked at each other, all the playfulness gone from their eyes now. With a soft sigh, Rin shifted out from under Kain, sitting up on the edge of the bed with her back to him, her black curls cascading thickly between her naked shoulder blades. She stood up, leaving Kain to stoop and pick up the clothes he had left on the floor. Turning back to him, she threw the bundle onto the bed, where he now also sat on the edge, his eyes staring at her beautiful lack of shame. She looked pointedly at the clothes she had thrown him.

"You better get packed," she said simply.

Kain stood up and dressed quickly under Rin's unreadable scrutiny. He stopped as he passed her once more before he reached the door, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear and turning her face upwards to his as he kissed her softly and tenderly before leaving her room.

* * *

Rin and Kain met again in the hallway as he left the room he and Aidou shared, his packed bags already in his hands. Rin walked down the corridor from her room towards him to bid goodbye, wearing her black breeches and a simple, very pale green blouse. Kain watched her approach, his eyes ranging over her body with yearning. Kain dropped his bag to the floor as she drew even to him, grasping her shoulders tightly and pulling her into a strong embrace.

"Come with us," he whispered quietly in her ear. "Please. Hanabusa has just asked a favor of me…" Kain's embrace tightened, afraid that she would try to break free once he told her. "He wants me to search through the records of the Aidou household for any mention of the Kurans's attendance of the banquets. Come with us, Rin," he said beseechingly, clenching up inside as he waited to see what her reaction would be. For a split second she stiffened, then relaxed, drawing away from him with a sigh. She looked into his eyes with a relaxed gaze, a small smile flitting across her lips.

"Just go. I have a vardo waiting for me out there," she said quietly, looking into his eyes calmly. She watched his retreating back as he turned to face the rest of the vampires in the waiting room below the staircase. He gave a determined sigh. He wouldn't waste anymore time.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting,"

* * *

Rin closed the door to her room with a sigh, slumping against the wood and sliding to the floor. One hand went to cover her face, entangling its fingers in her hair while the other slumped on the floor beside her. Lifting her hand from her face, she peered closely at the lines that traced cracks and webs across her palm. Lifting her other hand, she traced her finger across a line she had never seen before: it crossed her palm in a straight, spidery crack, ending abruptly near the edge of her hand. Shaking her head to clear it off, she stood up with a sigh and began to pack the things she'd need for her trip.

* * *

"Hey. Where do you think you're going?" Rin leant calmly against a tree at dusk, catching Aidou as he snuck towards the Sun Dorms. Blue eyes met blue eyes, and all of a sudden both of them were wearing sober expressions. Rin walked quietly forward to where Aidou was standing.

"I heard of your request of Akatsuki," she said quietly. "We both know who it was who really killed Hiou Shizuka,"

Aidou jerked his head back in surprise, giving Rin an astonished look. Rin returned his look calmly, and spoke before he could retort at her and deny everything she knew to be true.

"I just want to ask you: what will you do?"

Aidou knew then, that the answer to that question wasn't just a matter of actions. It was a matter of trust; a matter of loyalty. He didn't answer Rin, but left her without a word, continuing his walk towards the Sun Dorms.

"Bug the prefects, that's what," he muttered under his breath. Several meters away, he heard Rin laugh her deep and throaty laugh.

"I heard that," she called.

* * *

The next day, Rin hopped off the bus onto the dusty road with her bag in hand, ignoring the driver's dubious looks about letting her down in a place like this. Her many-colored patchwork skirt swirled in the dusty wind as the bus rumbled away. Her hair was down around her shoulders, though she wore a pathwork kerchief around her head in a bandana to keep it out of her eyes.

The yellow dirt road stretched off through the rolling green, leaving Rin in the middle of the green, empty pasturelands. A line of trees edged the horizon, and the woods actually ended not too far from where Rin stood. The dusk extended golden-pink fingers over the lanscape and a chill wind warned of damp in the night, and perhaps frost in the morning.

Rin waited for the bus to rumble out of sight and looked about her at the familiar landscape, letting her gaze roam until she spotted several horses grazing near the trees. With a small sigh, she walked towards the horses, lengthening her stride to cover more of the rolling, grass covered land.

Rin reached the hidden stone cottage at the edge of the woods just as darkness claimed the world, forcing the inhabitants to light lanterns within, letting square patches of orange light shine out onto the plain from their windows.

Rin walked boldly to the cottage door, setting her bag on the ground at her feet before taking a deep breath to steady herself. Rin only needed to raise her hand to knock once on the heavy, wooden door, when her soft knock was greeted by a child's squeal of happiness coming from inside. The door flew open and Rin had to keep her balance as a ball of energy hit her full on, wrapping little arms around her neck and clinging to her waist with a child's arms.

"Atsuko!" Rin exclaimed, smiling broadly as she peeled the strawberry blonde child off of her, setting the beaming girl gently on the ground beside her.

"I told Mama you were coming! I did! I saw you in the crystal!" Atsuko grinned proudly up at Rin with her brown eyes, obviously glad to see her.

"So you can See now, eh? Congratulations!" Rin smiled at down at Atsuko, before grasping the child around her waist and lifting the squealing girl onto her shoulders. Though she kept it from her voice and face, she still felt a twinge of jealousy at the girl's news. This child was barely five and a half years old, yet she could already do what Rin had struggled to learn at the age of fifteen, the result of her lack of vampire blood in her generation, and the warping of her magic from Rido's bite.

With a sigh, Rin carefully bent down to pick up her bag, keeping a firm grasp on Atsuko before stepping into the cozy, well-lit home of her distant relatives.

"So you're back,"

Rin nearly winced at the lack of welcome in her mother's cousin's clipped words, but by now, she was somewhat used to it.

"Get down, Atsuko," she said gently and quietly, picking the child up off of her shoulders and setting her on the floor before facing the girl's mother. The child ran off to the room she shared with her older sister.

Rin sighed, looking Sumi in the eye. She had reddish-brown hair, a murkier version of her daughter, Atsuko's, strawberry blonde. Her face was hard and unforgiving as she gazed at Rin with barely hidden contempt. The woman was her mother's cousin, one of the only relatives Rin could get in touch with due to their settled life. Sumi, though she had been on good terms with Tade, seemed to blame Rin for Tade's death, detested her for being a vampire, and whenever Rin was at their home, she would keep words between them short and only as long as was necessary.

"Yes, I suppose I am back. I'll be taking my vardo out again with Kisho, probably tomorrow. I'll head towards Tade's grave," Rin said, sighing again. The sooner she got out of here, the better.

* * *

Kain glanced at the paper he held in his hand, where Rin had scribbled her location. With a sigh he left his darkened room to join the others in the living room. He was slightly surprised to see Seiren there, but then again, he was never sure when she'd show up.

The vampires who had joined Kaname at the Aidou residence assembled behind him, awaiting his words.

"Return to your dorms,"

* * *

Far away, unknowing about Kain's preparations to meet up with her, Rin wakes up on the morning of her second day in her vardo, listening to the sound of the rain pelting the wooden roof above her. She shifts onto her side in her cot, pulling the quilt tighter around herself, looking out the small window in the caravan's entrance, seeing the world shrouded in grey. She lifts her hand before her eyes and sees the line that crosses her palm. She didn't die yesterday; she wonders if she will today.

* * *

**Another note: I can't read palms, and I'm not sure if the straight line crossing Rin's really means she's going to die. I just used it for the sake of the story... So don't worry if you have a line like that, go to a real palm reader if you really want to know what it means..**

**Anyway, I really really hope you enjoyed this chapter! (and I really really hope I'll get more reviews :D)  
**


	12. Choice

**NEXT CHAPTER!!!! I AM SUPER ON A ROLL!!!! You really must enjoy this chapter :D hehehehe.... **

**Oh ya, before I forget... A note on the structure/design of Rin's vardo: The shafts to which the horse is harnessed when it is pulling the caravan are on either side of the vardo, on the end where the front door is found. So when driving the horse, the driver actually sits on the doorstep, plus there is an extra ledge that goes all around the vardo for other passengers who want to sit outside while traveling... Usually, a vardo wouldn't have much windows, usually only one (in the door panels), or sometimes two (on the door panel and on the other end). Rin's vardo, though, has two, but they are found on the sides/lengths of the vardo, so if her cot is to the side, then she has a window on the wall beside her, and a window across from her...**

**Sorry for such a long note, but I think it's necessary to avoid confusion :D  
**

* * *

Rin witnessed another death of a day in her vardo and wondered when hers would come. Dusk was a beautiful sight to see: The edge of the woods that marked her road stood out in black and daunting splendor, the sky behind her blackening with indigo and deep purple, reaching forth to claim the land with darkness, while ahead of her, the dying rays of the sun receded in bloody, fiery beauty. The colors reminded Rin greatly of Kain, and the darkness meeting the last lights reminded her of how they had clung to each other; fire and light and darkness and ice.

Edging nearer by the minute was a structure of skeletal wood, silhoutted black against the flaming sky. The once brightly painted boards that rose from the ground eerily resembled Rin's vardo, although one could see straight through the rotting panels and the roof was now gone.

Catching sight of the remains of the vardo, Rin, sitting on the doorstep, gave a flick of the reins, commanding the stubborn, piebald gelding to trot instead of walk. Kisho shook his head indignantly, but grudgingly obliged her by increasing his pace.

"Woah," Rin said quietly as they drew near the ruins, getting down from where she sat to begin unharnessing Kisho. She hobbled him, then set him lose to graze, directing him a little ways farther from the ruins. With a sigh she turned to inspect what was left of her mother's vardo.

* * *

Ichiou bowed to the vampire contained within Shiki's body, tense with fear and respect. A pair of eyes with mismatched colors watched him with obvious entertainment as Rido listened to what Ichiou had to report concerning the Night Class. He let out a harsh bark of laughter, grinning slyly as he returned his gaze back to Ichiou.

"So you've met my 'stepdaughter,' have you?"

"Yes, my Lord. I deemed her a hindrance to your plans, so I decided to use the list, as you once did," seeing Rido's thoughtful frown, Ichiou pressed on, worried. "If you wish, my Lord, I can easily have her name removed again,"

"No. No need to trouble yourself over her. You did the right thing. Besides, I think I'll have my chance to see her again soon. That girl won't give in to hunters easily… It'll be very entertaining to see her again… It appears she's grown quite bold, eh?"

* * *

By the light of the full moon, Rin could make out her mother's grave a little bit farther from the ruins of the vardo. In the silvery half light, it looked as if a woman of striking beauty had lain beneath the stars and turned to stone, surrounded by a ring of sand that remained unnaturally untouched by the grass.

Using her vampire senses, Rin scratched a perfect pentacle into the sand with a stick, the sleeping stone figure of Tade in the center. She wore nothing but a thin, white, somewhat see-through gown that billowed around her, leaving her pale arms bare.

She lit a small fire in every point of the pentacle, the smell of burning herbs filling the air as she took a stand beside Tade's grave.

* * *

Kain kept amongst the trees as he traveled through day and night, testing his vampiric abilities as he kept an unstopping pace no human could match in order to catch up with Rin. The low boughs of the trees brushed him as he went by, filling his sensitive nostrils with the smells of pine, cedar, cypress, loam and dew. Though he had gotten soaked through to the bone on the day it rained, he had only paused a while to change his clothing and to drink from a stream. He didn't bother with hunting. It was only a waste of his time which he intended to spend closing the gap between him and Rin, and besides, all the animals were scared shitless by his mere presence. He knew he was very near when a breeze blew in from the treeline, and he was actually able to pick out her faint smell on the wind, mingled with horse and wood and all kinds of burning herbs. Knowing she was near increased his pace, his yearning to hold her again driving him forward mercilessly. But when he spotted her fire from the trees, something told him to keep hidden for the time being.

Kain peered through the network of branches, his vampire's eyes picking out Rin's features as she stood still beside a figure of a sleeping woman. He could see the pentacle drawn around her clearly, and as he watched in the darkness, Rin's feet began tapping a rhythm on the sand, then thumping, until the sound grew deeper and more regular, as if she were dancing on a dense drum. Entranced, he watched as she lifted her graceful arms to the sky, stretching and undulating them to the rhythm of her feet. And then her feet, too, began to dance also following a similar, graceful pattern to her arms, and even as she swayed around Tade's grave, the rhythm of her feet never broke.

And then she began to sing, her voice at first low and gentle, then growing with pitch and power, lulling and summoning, bursting with the powerful words her throat birthed to the sky:

_Darksome night and shining moon_

_Balance of the dark and light_

_Hearken ye our witch's rune_

_As we perform our sacred rite_

_With earth and water, air and fire_

_By blade and bowl and circle round_

_We come to you with our desire_

_Let all that is hidden now be found_

_With censor, candle, book and sword_

_And ringing of the altar bell_

_We tie a knot within our cord_

_To bind our magic in a spell_

_Mother of the summer fields_

_Goddess of the silver moon_

_Join with us as power builds_

_Dance with us our witch's rune_

_Father of the Summer dew_

_Hunter of the winter snows_

_With open arms we welcome you_

_Dance with us as power grows_

_Dance with us a witch's rune_

-and here her voice rose in a wave, crashing over Kain in a current of beauty, the beat of her feet quickening, her movements whiplashing as a piece of kelp in a riptide. She opened her throat once more in a wordless imitation of the main tune of her song, then repeated the same line, gathering an unnameable power in her voice as the wind tugged her lose hair and gown, and it seemed as if there were more than one Rin singing, so strong and uncanny was her voice:

_Mother of the summer fields_

_Goddess of the silver moon_

_Join with us as power builds_

_Dance with us our witch's rune_

_Father of the Summer dew_

_Hunter of the winter snows_

_With open arms we welcome you_

_Dance with us as power grows_

_Dance with us a witch's rune_

Her voice slowed here, calm and low once more, the power still in it, but less wild, and more serene; at peace.

_By all the light of moon and sun_

_By all the might of land and sea_

_Chant the rune and it is done_

_As we will, so mote it be…_

Kain watched with frozen wonder as Rin finished her song, kneeling to kiss Tade's stone lips before standing up once more to scatter the embers of the fires. Kain couldn't move, couldn't bring himself to appear to Rin, so he melted deeper into the woods, afraid she would sense his presence.

* * *

Rin slept uneasily that night. In her dreams, she was surrounded by blackness and she could see Kain staring at her with wonder, but not moving towards her. _Akatsuki, please come here, I need you, I'm going to die… I want to be with you one last time…_

When she moved towards him his gaze would shift to someone behind her, and she'd turn to find Tade there, smiling gloriously at Rin with her crown of fiery hair. _Mother?Mother, it's been so long, please come here, I want to be embraced by you once more…_

But like Kain, she wouldn't move towards Rin, though Rin could see the love in both her mother's and Kain's gazes. And when she held out both her hands to them, they would make no move to take them, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.

Darkness crowded in, and Rin's mind began to spiral, the panic in her growing and growing, until she found herself weeping with the choice she had to make.

_Please, I can't choose just one… I want to die in peace, but I can't leave you behind, Akatsuki… Mother…_

_

* * *

_Rin woke at dawn with tear-stained cheeks, and immediately she rebuilt her fire, putting on a kettle for tea, then sat on the doorstep of her vardo, wrapped in a thick, quilted jacket. Shaken and disconcerted she reached inside her vardo to pull out a guitar. Strumming a tune, she opened her throat to the comfort of a song in the chill wind and the cold dawn.

* * *

**Yay! oh ya, I decided to use that song, because... well... Rin _is_ supposed to be a sorceress, so I kinda mixed Wicca**** (Wicca doesn't worship the devil, go do some reliable research!)**** and Gypsy stuff here... the title of the song that Rin sang at Tade's grave is entitled "Witch's Rune" it's a Wiccan poem that was written by Doreen Valiente (at least this version was)... If you want to know about the tune or melody that Rin sang it in, you can search for Skinny White Chick/S.J. Tucker's website, because she's the one whom I based Rin's melody for the song on :D  
**

**Hope you all enjoyed!! :D  
**


	13. All I Want

**Yay!! Woohoo for me!! I did it!!! Mwaahahahaha!!! ahem... man, I am so conceited and self-centered... please excuse my behaviour xD hehehe .**

**By the way: Thanks to Joni Mitchell for the song that I used in this chapter (All I Want) :) I really love her songs, particularly this one, and it matches my story almost perfectly... I DO NOT OWN THE SONG! I JUST USED IT FOR THE SAKE OF MY STORY!  
**

* * *

The sun rose above the horizon, shining in a cold, golden glory, accompanied by the ringing of a voice across a campfire, across the plain and through the branches of the forest as the sun's rays touched the surroundings in a outwardly cold light that slowly warmed to the core.

* * *

_I am on a lonely road and I am traveling_

_Traveling, traveling, traveling_

_Looking for something, what can it be_

_Oh I hate you some, I hate you some_

_I love you some_

_Oh I love you when I forget about me_

Kain watched Rin sing from the shelter of the trees that early morning. At first he was worried to approach, hesitant in case the horse panicked and alerted Rin of his presence. He moved nearer anyway, and found that the horse probably mistook his presence for Rin's, so accustomed was the gelding to a vampire's aura.

_I want to be strong I want to laugh along_

_I want to belong to the living_

_Alive, alive, I want to get up and jive_

_I want to wreck my stockings in some juke box dive_

Kain watched in wonder as he picked out tears forming on the edge of Rin's eyelashes. He could see her desperately trying not to sob as her voice peaked to a clear, ringing pitch, her fingers flashing across the vibrating strings of her guitar. How he longed to comfort her…

_Do you want - do you want - do you want_

_To dance with me baby_

_Do you want to take a chance_

_On maybe finding some sweet romance with me baby_

_Well, come on, now_

_All I really really want our love to do_

_Is to bring out the best in me and in you too_

_All I really really want our love to do_

Kain inhaled, trying to drink her scent from the wind, mingled with the salty smell of her tears. Preoccupied, he walked a little ways farther from the vardo, walking towards the stream that burbled a few meters away. Cupping his hands, he drank the sweet, icy water, reminded of Rin's eyes, her music running in his veins, in his heart…

_Is to bring out the best in me and in you_

_I want to talk to you, I want to shampoo you_

_I want to renew you again and again_

_Applause, applause - life is our cause_

_When I think of your kisses_

_My mind see-saws_

_Do you see - do you see - do you see_

_How you hurt me baby_

_So I hurt you too_

_Then we both get so blue_

_I am on a lonely road and I am traveling_

_Looking for the key to set me free_

Kain desperately tried to stay put, fidgeting where he knelt by the stream, trying not to run to Rin and clasp her desperately in his arms. He didn't know why she was crying, but he didn't want to stop her singing, didn't want to interrupt the time she needed to comfort herself.

Kain glanced at his reflection in the rippling surface and froze, every pluck of string by Rin's fingers twanging in his ears and heartstrings. He gazed into his reflection, saw a dart of silver beneath the skin of water where his presence touched the tiniest of fish. His eyes stared back at him balefully, blood red. How long had it been since he had eaten anything, let alone a blood tablet? He felt his heart rip with an unknown sadness, his jaws begin to ache as the hunger pangs struck. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his blood tablets, gulping down two at once.

_Oh the jealousy, the greed is the unraveling_

_Its the unraveling_

_And it undoes all the joy that could be_

Kain looked at his reflection, watching his eyes go back to a normal color. What was wrong with him? He could hear Rin's voice from where he was, as clear as if he sat beside her, and how it called to him; how it called to him. His senses ranged around her fire, his already strong vampiric abilities further strengthened by the time spent outside.

_I want to have fun, I want to shine like the sun_

_I want to be the one that you want to see_

_I want to knit you a sweater_

_Want to write you a love letter_

Was he going crazy? Kain clawed at his chest, surprised to find it aching, though he no longer thirsted for blood. He clenched his jaws with a pain that was felt more by the mind and soul than the body, his whole being aching for Rin.

_I want to make you feel better_

_I want to make you feel free_

_Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm,_

_Want to make you feel free_

_I want to make you feel free_

Kain plunged his head into the icy waters before him, his tears flowing away as he lifted his head for breath, gasping. He lay down in the deep grass growing on the streams banks, weeping inconsolably as Rin's voice rang out in a last line, fading with the last chords struck on her guitar. With a sigh he stood up, unable to bear being so near Rin, and walked upstream, through the forest.

* * *

Rin carefully wiped away the tears that had streaked her cheeks, looking up from her guitar to find Kisho staring at her from across her fire in a manner that told her the gelding was worried. With a sigh Rin stood up, putting the guitar gently on the dorrstep where she normally sat, before going over to the gelding.

"It's alright," she said softly, stroking the gentle horse's face as he snuffled her pockets her treats. Rin allowed herself a soft laugh, reaching into her pockets to produce some dried mulberries that Atsuko had kindly given her.

"Here," she said softly, opening her palm flat-out, her fingers cupped as one to avoid getting bitten as Kisho ate the mulberries she offered. She wiped her hands on her colorful skirt as he finished, leaving the horse's calming presence to begin breaking camp. She cleared up her fire, pouring water over the embers from the stream, before filling her flask for the rest of the day. She lifted her flask to her lips, drinking the cold water of the earth.

All of a sudden, Rin blinked, her taste coming across something foreign to the stream's sweetness, yet oh so familiar to hers. Tears. _Kain?

* * *

_Rin traveled further away from Tade's grave that day, still following the forestline as her road. She strummed her guitar as Kisho trotted, the slightly bumpy ride affecting her wondrous voice to no extent at all.

After setting camp, Rin walked in the moonlight that night, strolling along the path of the stream, her vampiric senses ensuring that no rock would cause her to stumble as she hitched up her baggy trousers, navigating her way through the forest gracefully, despite the dark and the slippery rocks. By and by she came upon a calm pool, it's glassy surface reflecting the moon and stars above, its surface rippling slightly near the place where it was fed by the stream. The pool's edge was marked by giant bamboo growing in thick clumps all around, their dark leaves whispering beautifully in the wind, accompanied by the sound of their green stalks rubbing and cracking against each other in a chorus of growth.

Rin stared out at the beauty, before moving quietly towards the edge of the pool, where she sat with her back against a boulder, watching her surroundings calmly. Such was the peace that she closed her eyes and let her guard down, her senses ranging far and wide, drinking in the scents of the night forest, the sounds, the textures.

* * *

Kain approached cautiously, hiding in the bamboo clump almost directly behind Rin. He moved forward as quietly as possible, before leaping nimbly up onto the boulder she sat against. He looked down over the edge, to find her staring up at him, her eyes glistening brightly in the moonlight as she looked at him with all the joy he had ever seen in one pair of eyes.

"Akatsuki," she said quietly, lifting her hand to cup his face, hesitant, almost unbelieving. Kain smiled gently, reaching out with his hand to cup her face as well.

Their touch never connected. Something hard crashed into Kain, knocking him off the boulder as he rolled desperately, his senses picking out the smell of human, the cold touch of a gun to his head. _Hunter. _Almost at once, the man who grappled with Kain burst into flame, screaming as he jumped off of his quarry, clawing at the flames the killed him. Kain rolled to his feet all in the same split second, coming to his feet just as he was blinded by a flash of purple, his senses reeling from the bitter scent of a vampire hunters' unleashed magic. Several more gunshots rang out in the forest, though none of them hit him as he rolled and dodged, setting fire to as many hunters as he could without breaking his concentration from dodging the shots.

Above all the sudden noise, all the crackling of the flames and the vile stench of burning human, Kain noticed something that pierced him to his core: there was no sign of Rin.

* * *

**Kyaaa!!!! Mwahahahaha!!! My first good cliff-hanger in ages!!! Mwahahahahaha!!!!!**

**XD I am such an evil author to the characters in my stories :D Enjoy!!  
**


	14. Into the Depths of Hell

**REVIEWS PLEASE! I picked up another writer's block, but good thing it was easily overcome! Phew! Sorry to keep you waiting! :)**

* * *

Kain panicked, tearing down two hunters and grappling a third one to the ground, tearing their limbs and biting them desperately as he fought his way to the boulder where Rin had been sitting.

"_Rin!" _he roared, fighting off two more hunters, setting one on fire and slamming his elbow into the throat of the other, smashing the windpipe; killing him instantly. He leaped desperately towards the boulder, only to find that Rin was gone. He turned to face the rest of the hunters who fanned out behind him, silhoutted by the flames that had begun to spread through the forest.

* * *

Rin ran along the edge of the now disturbed pool, her feet carrying her deeper into the bamboo grove and farther away from the pool.

"_Rin!"_

Kain's desperate call for her name stopped her in her tracks, as she spun around to face the direction where she had just run from.

"Akatsuki!" she muttered, worry suddenly etching itself in hard lines across her brow as she saw the flames on the other side of the pool. Before she could move, there was whistling in the bamboo above her, wires glinting in the moonlight as they bore down shadowy hunters, all of them landing in a circle around her, cutting off her escape.

Rin bared her teeth and snarled, the beast inside her taking control as she crouched down in a fighting position, her eyes glowing red. With a wild growl she charged at the nearest hunter, grabbing the gun that aimed at her at the same time snapping off the arm that held onto it. With a snarl she latched her jaws around the screaming woman's throat, tearing it open with her fangs. She dropped the woman to the ground and leaped towards the next hunter, all human thoughts gone from her mind.

Rin's wild charge was stopped when two shots rang out; one bullet grazed her shoulder, while the other penetrated the flesh just below her collar bone. A piercing scream tore itself from her throat as the bullet burned into her. She fell to her knees, blood welling up between the fingers that she clasped to her wound, dripping to the forest floor as the hunters carefully surrounded her once more.

Breathing heavily, Rin stood up, swaying as her vision blurred, the sounds of flames crackling in the forest muted behind the pounding in her ears.

Still panting, Rin looked the hunter who approached her in the eye, lifting her head with what pride and dignity she could summon. _So this is how it's going to end, _she thought bitterly, watching the hunter raise his gun to her head. _There's still so much I have to do… _Rin closed her eyes, hearing the whistle of the wires as the hunters lashed her to where she stood, the silver cords biting into her wrists and drawing more blood. _I'm sorry, Akatsuki._

_

* * *

_Kain crouched down, ready to fight for his life. All was still in the clearing where he stood before the nearest hunter moved forward.

"It is not you we're after, noble. Surrender quietly, and we'll do you no harm. We'll simply move on and continue our mission to kill our target: Rin Kage-"

Wrong choice of words. The hunter was dead before his last syllable died over the crackling of flames. With an angry growl, Kain blasted a semi-circle of fire around him, burning the remaining hunters where they stood. Before the hunters had even died, Kain was running across the pool, heading towards the spot where for a fleeting instant, he had seen Rin brought to her knees.

* * *

Shizuka's blood wouldn't let her die. All of a sudden Rin felt the pureblood living within her, felt her blood heat up and boil as the pureblood's power came to life. Rin's eyes snapped open once more, glowing red as she grinned maniacally and grabbed the gun in front of her, bringing the hunter who held it closer; biting him with such force that his neck broke with a snap. Rin spun around with the hunter still caught between her jaws, snapping the wires that held her wrists out of the grip of the hunters who held her, using the body of their dead comrade as a shield against more of the shots that rang out as she laughed witlessly. She dropped the hunter between her jaws to the ground, the bullet wounds in her shoulder healing due to the lifeblood she drank.

With a wild cackle, Rin crouched on all fours and brought her hands hard against the ground; the resounding thump was followed by a crackling as the ground broke and splintered into shards of rock that flew mercilessly at her attackers, killing those impaled on the shrapnel mercilessly. Still laughing wildly, Rin brought her arms up above her head, stretching them taut as Shizuka's blood and what little magic was left in her veins united to create such power as was only ever seen in the generations before Tade. With a lurching groan, the bamboo around her responded, bending towards her as she slowly drew her tensed fingers together. What followed was a scene from hell: as Rin closed her fists together, green bamboo limbs writhed with unnatural hate, their serene spell broken as blood stained their branches. Hunters screamed for mercy as they were squeezed to death between possessed bamboo stalks, as shoots suddenly sprouted from their mouths, extending their blood-curdling screams on and on, even passed the point when their tortured souls had fled their bodies. In the midst of all the chaos, Rin stood still, her wild face raised to the moon which shown down on her through the gap above her head. Through all the dying and screaming, her ruthless laughing was heard. Little did she know of how a gun held in hateful dying hands still aimed perfectly at her heart; little did she know of how the dying wish of the hunter behind her was to avenge his comrades, and pull this hated E-class into the depths of hell with him. In all that pain and dying and ruthlessness; it took so little to pull the trigger. So little.

* * *

**xD hope you enjoyed!! haha!! i am just so full of cliffies now!! mwahahaha!! i have a feeling this story is gonna be a lot longer than Cold Shadow :) oh well**


	15. City

**Notes on Romani words used in this chapter: There are many dialects of Romani and no "official" written language. The following words may be used differently in different dialects, and some may not actually be used by true Roms. **

**_Gorgio- an outsider; non-Gypsy _**

**_Ederlezi- the Spring Festival, usually held on the first day of spring  
_**

**_Daje- mother_**

**_Marhime- Impure _**

**_Pena- sister  
_**

* * *

Kain grunted in pain as the bullet meant for Rin grazed his cheek, the two of them crashing to the ground as Kain pushed Rin down. That bullet was the last one, the hunter who shot it finally fleeing his body as it was crushed by the bamboo.

Rin shoved Kain roughly off of her, snarling and moving back into her crouching position as she stood up, her eyes glaring unrecognizingly at Kain.

"Rin. It's me," Kain said slowly, moving forward slowly like he was trying to tame a wild beast. Rin didn't respond, her human side crumbling as the E-class in side of her was awakened by the scent of blood in the air.

With a wild grin, Rin tensed- Kain, seeing what she was about to do, forced himself to stay calm as he closed his eyes and bared his neck for her. He gritted his jaw in pain as he was slammed against a clump of bamboo as Rin leapt, then clenched his jaw as she bit him roughly, her fangs grazing his collarbone painfully. Gasping in pain, Kain leaned forward, pulling Rin into a tight embrace, withstanding the pain as she bit hard, gnashing her jaws together over his flesh, tearing her bite marks wider and wider. She laughed heartlessly while she hurt him, but still he embraced her harder, whispering in her ear constantly, "Rin, come back. It's me. Come back to me,"

Kain suddenly loosened his embrace as he heard Rin gasp, then withdraw from drinking his blood. She looked up at him, her shocked eyes returned to their icy blue color. Her face was smeared with blood, both Kain's and the hunters'.

"Akatsuki?" Rin whispered in shock, her hand going to her mouth, coming away with her fingertips covered in his blood. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Rin burst into sobs at the sight of her tearing bitemarks over Kain's collarbone, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"It's alright. I'm glad you came back…" Kain sighed as he embraced Rin back, before pulling apart carefully. Together they walked away from the ruins of their battlefield towards Rin's vardo.

* * *

Kain lay beside Rin in her vardo, his wounds healed thanks to Rin's supply of herbs and her allowing him to drink her blood once they got to the vardo.

Despite it being nighttime, after the fight both of them had felt too fatigued and shocked to stay up till dawn. But still Kain couldn't find sleep. He sighed contentedly, turning slightly to look at Rin, who slept quietly in the crook of his arm. He gently raised his hand to stroke a stray strand of ebony from her cheek, leaning forward to kiss her softly. His warm gaze lingered over her full lips, before the movement of her eyelashes caught his eye.

"We should go back to the Academy… You'll be safer there…" Kain said softly, looking deep into Rin's eyes tenderly and protectively.

"I know…"

* * *

Kain and Rin woke the next morning, which was strange, considering their natures. They broke camp quietly, working at cleaning their surroundings quickly and efficiently.

Kain watched Rin carefully, worried. She was collecting water from the stream, her Romany skirt tied in a knot to prevent it from getting wet. Just then a breeze from upstream blew over the camp, tugging at the dried grasses, rattling through the trees who were slowly loosing their leaves as winter came on. Kain stopped as he picked up the kettle from the remnants of Rin's fire, watching her carefully as she suddenly lifted her head in the direction of the breeze. The scent of charred flesh and blood washed over the camp. Kain stared at Rin, intent, then started running towards her as he saw the flask slip from her hands and fall to the ground. He caught her around the shoulders as her knees buckled.

"Rin!"

Rin gasped in pain, her hands flying to her throat and chest as her breath constricted with hunger pangs.

Kain enfolded her in his arms unhesitatingly, waiting for her to drink, while she shook in his arms.

"Rin… We have to go back. Things can't go on like this," Kain whispered quietly as her fangs grazed his neck lightly.

* * *

The next morning brought the couple to camp in a park in the middle of a city, where Rin had arranged to meet a relation of hers in order for her vardo to be taken back to Sumi's home.

Kain watched as Rin embraced the strawberry blonde adolescent who had come to take Rin's vardo in the city. Hikari was the elder sister of Atsuko, and like Atsuko, despite her mother's open disdain, Hikari favored and supported Rin.

Kain watched as Rin put her arm around Hikari's shoulders, guiding her towards the vardo.

"Hikari, this is Akatsuki Kain. Akatsuki, Hikari," Rin introduced them, then turned to Hikari and said "He's a close friend from the Academy,"

Kain inclined his head politely and smiled slightly as he saw Hikari's eyes widen as she looked him over. Her words to Rin weren't what he expected though.

"A _gorgio?_ But Ederlezi, all the more _daje _will call you a _marhime_!" she exclaimed in a mix of Romani and English. Her voice was serious, but Kain could tell there was a mischievous joke in her eyes. He frowned worriedly while Rin laughed at Hikari's statement.

"Don't worry, _pena. Gorgios _aren't contagious!"

Kain bit his lip and frowned slightly, left out as Rin and Hikari laughed uproariously at their little inside joke.

"I'm sorry," Hikari said to Kain, wiping away tears of laughter with one hand while she stroked Kisho's nose with the other. "You two had better find an inn somewhere and take a rest. I'll stay here with the vardo, and you can come back and pack up later when you're ready," she said lightly.

"Thank you," Rin said warmly, turning to go with her small bag of necessities slung over her shoulder.

Just as Kain turned to follow, a small hand grabbed his upper arm to stop him. He looked down to see Hikari motioning with her hand for him to bend down so she could whisper in his ear.

"Don't be set off by what I said. I was just joking about you making Ederlezi a _marhime._ It's really nice to know she's finally found someone," she said in Kain's ear. Kain straightened up, looking at Rin's retreating back. _Ederlezi?_

"Thank you," he said graciously, before striding swiftly to catch up with Rin.

* * *

Kain and Rin checked into an inn in the heart of the city. By the time they had taken a short nap, it was noon when they woke up, so they both decided to have lunch before finding a way to get back to the Academy.

While the two were eating, Kain suddenly looked at Rin questioningly, staring until Rin was forced to notice him.

"What?"

"Why'd Hikari call you '_Ederlezi'_ and not 'Rin'?" he asked slowly, dropping his utensils onto his clean plate.

Rin chewed for a while, before also setting down her utensils.

"It's my Romani nickname," she said slowly. "I was called that because, when Roms of our _kumpania _looked into my eyes, they were reminded of the coldest dawns of winter before spring. And when you're experiencing one of those cold dawns, the thing we Romas look forward to is 'Ederlezi,' the spring festival,"

Kain nodded slowly, looking deep into her eyes while he tucked in a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear.

"I prefer 'Rin,'" he said, his voice soft and warm. "It is who you are and not what people think of when they see you,"

Rin smiled softly, and stood up from her barstool, kissing him on the forehead before turning to go.

"I have to pay a visit to one of my relatives before we leave the city. You can either stay here or go back to the vardo and spend some time with Hikari. I'll meet you at the vardo at dusk," she said over her shoulder as she walked out of the inn onto the bustling street outside.

* * *

Rin strode through the alleyways quickly, skirting around stagnant puddles as she made her way to the address scribbled on the piece of paper she held. She stopped as she reached a dead-end, gritting her teeth in irritation. She didn't know the way.

"Damn it," she muttered as she was about to turn around and head back the way she came. Before she could turn, something hard knocked her down, blackening her vision and stealing away her consciousness as she hit the hard ground.

* * *

The President of the Hunter's Association looked down at the black haired vampire at his feet with satisfaction.

"So," he purred, tapping the tip of his fan against his lips. "We've finally captured the Kage vampire. With her under our custody we can enslave the whole Kage clan as sorcerer-hunters _and _use her as a ransom for Kurosu. And maybe, the Senior Council will want her, too."

* * *

Kain walked around the city for a while after their short lunch, before heading back to the inn. He was about to go back up to the room he and Rin were to share when one of the waitresses intercepted him.

"Um… Someone dropped this off this afternoon… They said it was from Rin Kage and that I should give it to you…" she said meekly, blushing madly and trying hard to stare at the floor.

"Thank you," Kain took the envelope and went upstairs, sitting down on the bed as he opened it. He could make out Rin's long flowing script inside, before he unfolded the paper and read it:

_Akatsuki,_

_The relative I was supposed to visit had a daughter who just died. I must stay behind to help them with the mourning rituals. Please go ahead to the Academy, and tell the Chairman that I don't know when I'll be able to attend classes again._

_Yours truly,_

_Rin_

Something was wrong. Though the writing was clearly Rin's, Kain could find no trace of her scent on the paper or on the envelope, or any others' for that matter. And something told him she would have signed the letter as _ 'I love you, Rin.' _and not '_Yours truly.' _

Kain sighed, and began pacing around the room in worry. Hunters were after Rin, and he didn't know why. He wasn't sure if this letter was a forgery or not, and he had nothing to go on for him to figure it out. He also had no way of finding Rin. Still, the safest thing to do was to go to the Academy as she had asked.

Kain decided not to waste another minute: he packed up and took the next bus that would pass through the town where Cross Academy was located.

* * *

**REVIEWS!!! I AM TOTALLY REVIEW HUNGRY!!!**


	16. Sa o Roma

Rin slumped forward, her eyes squeezed shut unwillingly against the pain. Blood trickled from her cracked lips and from several cuts on her face. The manacles forcing her to lift her arms against the wall she leaned on chaffed against her pale wrists, scratching the skin to a raw, aching red. Her breath wheezed laboriously as blood seeped from numerous wounds on her body. She flinched as cold, hard fingers grasped her swollen face roughly.

"Are you ready to do what we want now? Or are you still being stubborn?"

Rin shook her head away from that heartless grip, gritting her jaw in anger as she raised her head defiantly to meet the President Hunter's eyes. She glared at him through all her pain, working her jaws before spitting in her torturer's face.

"You can eat shit and go to hell!" she gasped, her breath heaving through cracked ribs as she coughed up blood.

"Ah… Still stubborn then…" the President straightened up, wiping away the remnants of her saliva and gesturing to the shadows behind him. Another hunter came out of his place in the shadows, pushing a cart laden with screws, drills and hammers upon its cold surface. The hunter bowed once to the President before moving back into the shadows and leaving the cart beside him.

The dungeons filled with Rin's screams, echoing and echoing, folding in on itself in terror and pain, doubling and doubling as her limbs were branded with heated prongs, hammered brutally, pierced with drills, the swollen flesh twisted and torn with screws and scalpels.

Finally the President dropped his last instrument back onto the cart, a sly smirk twisting his feminine features. He watched while the smallest wounds he inflicted on Rin's body began to heal, leaving not even a trace of a scar behind on the unblemished, pale skin. The purpose of his not using anti-vampire magic was for Rin to be allowed to heal, so that no matter what he did to her, she would not die and fail his purpose.

With a smirk, the President turned back to the hunter who was left behind.

"Do whatever you want," he said, chuckling heartlessly as he swept from the darkened room.

Rin watched the hunter who was left saunter towards her through tear-filled eyes, sobbing as she tried to bear the pain the President left and prepare herself for the pain to come. She loosed her throat to more screams as her already broken and battered body was broken even more beneath that hunter's lust, until all she could do was sob in pain and torment as she was raped heartlessly.

* * *

Kain was lost in thought as he walked beside Aidou, two days after his arrival at the Academy. Despite everything, something felt wrong. Jagged. Out of place. Something deep inside told him that Rin wasn't alright, though he tried to dismiss such foreboding thoughts._ Rin... Where are you?_ Though it was broad daylight, he didn't mind the sun too much, not since he'd had to acclimatize when he was with Rin. Still, what exactly was it Kaname wanted them to protect Yuuki from? And for how long would Rin be gone exactly?

"Hey, Akatsuki," Aidou said suddenly, calling Kain's attention.

"What is it?" Kain asked, lowering his voice as he noticed the tone of seriousity Aidou was using.

"Look."

Kain turned his head slightly in the opposite direction of where Aidou was facing, something in Aidou's tone and mannerism warning him not to make it obvious.

"Shiki? When did he return? And the person he's with is…" Foreboding filled Kain as his eyes landed on Zero's twin.

"Ichiru Kiriyuu," Aidou filled in for him, his voice lathered with suspicion and distrust.

"What is going on?" Kain wondered out loud, at the same time thinking, _If Rin were here she'd probably know pretty soon._ He turned discreetly to the petite blonde who walked just behind him. "Rima, do you know-"

"I don't know," Rima practically snapped, looking down at the ground sulkily as the group continued walking.

_Well, someone's bitter about something._ Kain thought to himself. _I think I'll talk to Ruka about this, just to include her…_ but since she hadn't come out of her room ever since Kaname had announced that Yuuki was his lover, Kain hadn't even been able to greet her when he returned.

* * *

Kaname stood silhoutted against the windows of his room, the sun filtering in through dancing dust as he gazed coldly at the chess board before him.

"If you die, your loved ones will rise against my enemies and join my side," he said coldly, to no one in particular. Moving forward, he picked up a creamy white envelope that lay on his desk, sliding his fingernail inside and opening it. His eyes narrowed as he read what was written inside.

"You will have to be sacrificed, Rin Kage," he whispered softly.

* * *

"Ederlezi. Ederlezi! It's me…"

Rin rose through the gloom and pain that surrounded her, emerging from her inner refuge in response to the call of that gentle, young voice. With a tired sigh, she opened her eyes, raising her head slightly in pain. Tears filled her eyes as she met Hikari's anguished, green-brown eyes.

"Hikari…" Rin labored to form words with her battered lips, tasting the dull tang of her blood inside her mouth. "You shouldn't… be here… tell them… tell _everyone_, you mustn't come… to my aid… don't help me… the… hunters…" Rin slumped back, panting with the effort it had cost her to speak so many words. Beside her, she could hear Hikari bite back a sob, then felt Hikari's fine fingers wipe away some of the blood on Rin's face. Despite her gentleness, her touch still made Rin flinch with pain.

"Ederlezi…" Hikari wiped away the tears that spilled over her lashes with one hand. "Ederlezi, we _must _save you. Please, let us save you, you mustn't die this way!" Hikari cried.

Rin sighed tiredly, unable to say anymore.

Finally, Hikari turned and left her, but not before draping her shawl over Rin's shoulders. As Hikari walked away from Rin's side, the President Hunter met her in the shadows, a look of deep satisfaction on his face.

"Have you decided then?" he purred, his voice sickeningly sweet.

"Yes," Hikari said quietly, resigned.

"Ah, good. Come this way, I had your contact-crystal prepared as you requested; your relatives are ready to hear your decision,"

"No!" Hikari raised her head, shaking her upper-arm out of the President's grip as she was about to be led away. "I want Ederlezi to be freed first, and given food and comfort so that her wounds may heal."

The President looked down at Hikari's indignant face, a look of amusement on his own.

"My, my… Such high demands you have. I'm afraid not. Despite your cooperation, Rin is still a dangerous vampire on our list," the President's eyes glittered maliciously as he watched Hikari's face fall coldly. He continued on, his voice coated with malignant sweetness, "We must _properly restrain her first_."

Just as Hikari opened her mouth to protest, another hunter came out of the shadows, bowing to the President.

"The Kage's have heard her decision, master. They're even now preparing to come here and take your commands."

Hikari's eyes widened, enraged. "_NO!"_

Moving too fast for Hikari, the President snatched the young girl's wrists and dragged her away from Rin's cells, chuckling heartlessly as Hikari kicked and screamed as she was led away.

* * *

Kain looked up suddenly, blinking away the bits of snow that got caught in his lashes as he did so. How his heart yearned for Rin to come back at the cold touch of the snowflakes. _So cold. Sharp. Delicate. Like her. Falling so calmly in all this dark and turmoil, dancing on the very whim of the wind. Where is she?_ Peering upwards he looked through the snow to see the figure of Yuuki standing at her window above him.

"Hey, Hanabusa."

"Hm?"

"She really planned to escape," he said carelessly as he watched Yuuki float down from her window.

He and Aidou watched as Yuuki landed softly on the ground in front of them

"Cross Yuuki," then, at Kain's warning glance, "No- Kuran Yuuki-sama," Aidou said, stumbling over the new need to pay respect to Yuuki.

"We're under orders from kaname-sama to protect you."

"Please step aside, Aidou-senpai, Kain-senpai," she said quietly, not minding the cold or the snow despite being dressed only in her nightshift.

"We can't do that," Kain said firmly, stepping to block her path as she began to walk away.

"Please return to your room, Yuuki-'

"Step aside, please!" Yuuki said suddenly, her voice imperious as she turned a somewhat indignant gaze upon Aidou.

Kain and Aidou ended up following Yuuki as she made her way to the Sun Dorms.

* * *

Seiren, Kain and Ruka fought alongside the Chairman, fighting with their physical abilities as well as the powers they were gifted with. Kain set fire to the attacking D-Class vampires, using even more of his gift than he had in the forest with Rin, fighting back-to back with Ruka while Seiren and Kaien mostly fought on their own.

_Dammit, Rin, we need you here! _he thought grimly as a gash opened on his cheek.

"Hanabusa!"

The relief in Ruka's voice was evident as several vampires were encased in ice, heralding their friend's arrival. Despite the added number, the group of vampires that were attacking didn't cease increasing in ranks as they pressed closer on the small group that fought to protect the Academy.

Suddenly, the Chairman appeared at Kain and Ruka's sides, panting heavily, the grip on his sword slackened.

"Shit," he muttered, before turning around hastily to fight of the pressing mob. "Get back to the Sun Dorms! Stay there and protect the students! These vampires are from the Hunter's Association, I'll stay here and deal with them, go!" he said, slashing several other vampires who tried to grab at Ruka.

"Ruka, let's go!" Kain yelled, turning around to leave. "Dammit!" he swore, as he turned to go, only to have their escape route cut off.

"We can make an escape through the trees!" Aidou said grimly, leaping up into the nearest branches, motioning with his arm for the other vampires to follow.

* * *

Rin's face was blank as her wounds were healed, as she was clothed by servants in soft cotton and linen of many layers, then sashed tightly. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her face showing no signs of the abuse she had endured, aside from her gaunt skin and palor. Her eyes traveled down to the place where the edge of the restraining tattoo peeked out from the collar of white linen. They hadn't failed to put the tattoo in the spot where it'd hurt most, on the thin skin covering her collarbone.

Her face remained a closed mask as they led her from the President's sumptous guest room, her hands placed in cuffs once more. They led her to the President's office, where the tall man awaited her, his face partly hidden by his fan. His robes ruffled softly as he moved forward to take Rin by the wrist, dismissing the servants with a motion of his hand.

Smiling softly, he leaned down to whisper in Rin's ear, "Your relatives are waiting,"

Rin flinched as his breath touched her neck, recoiling from him with a sharp intake of breath. The President chuckled softly as he led her to a balcony which over-looked the courtyard entrance to the Association's headquarters.

Rin's eyes widened in dismay as she saw all the faces of the Kage clan which had gathered there, all women which were dressed to fight alongside the hunters in their petty quarrel with Cross Academy.

_I'm sorry, Akatsuki. I know now how I must die. If you are to live then I will have to be the sacrifice. I'm sorry, Akatsuki, Father. _

In her mind, Rin could hear a far away voice, singing.

_Ediwado babo, amenge bakro  
Sa o Roma babo, e bakren chinen  
Sa o Roma babo babo  
Sa o Roma o daje  
Sa o Roma babo babo  
Ederlezi, Ederlezi...

* * *

_**Woohooo!! another chapter finished!!!Oh ya, here's the translation for the song:**

**Dad, a sheep for us  
All the Roma, dad, sacrifice sheep  
All the Roma, dad, dad  
All the Roma, oh mummy  
All the Roma, dad, dad  
Ederlezi, Ederlezi**

**So basically, Rin is supposed to be the sheep that's sacrificed :) The title is "Ederlezi" :) It's a Romani/Gypsy song arranged by Goran Bregovic  
**


	17. Last Chance

**Wow! I finally finished this chapter!! Enjoy!!**

**Translation notes: _prala- _brother**

**_pena-_ sister  
**

* * *

Kain leapt through the trees, side by side with Seiren, Aidou and Ruka. Sweat trickled from his brow and into his eyes, making them sting momentarily, but still he didn't stop jumping, focusing his eyes on the walls around the Moon Dorms ahead. How distant it seemed… Kain took a deep breath, concentrating on getting back to the heart of the campus. He shut his eyes briefly, summoning up dregs of his energy. _Rin. I need you here… Where are you?_ Suspended in mid-air as he leapt from tree to tree, everything felt _wrong_. Something was nagging Kain that Rin wasn't safe, wasn't alright, that she needed him deeply. A sickening feeling formed a pit in his stomach.

"Akatsuki! Watch out!"

Kain's eyes snapped open, his gaze crashing into Ruka's horrified look for a split second before something hard rammed into his chest, knocking all the wind out of him as he gasped with pain. Twisting in mid-air like a cat, Kain desperately tried to hit the ground properly as it raced upwards in a blur of leaves and branches to meet him. Kain gasped as he landed, the jar of harsh contact shaking his teeth. Gasping with pain, he looked up to the canopy, searching with his sharp eyes for his comrades. _What the hell hit me? _he wondered. Whatever it was, it had left bits of moss and splinters of bark on his uniform, and had left his side feeling very bruised. As if a tree had come to life and knocked him from the air. Chills ran down his spine as he recalled what Rin had done with the bamboo when she had been hunted down. _Was that what happened?_

"Akatsuki! Don't-" Ruka's voice sounded near his left, pulling him sharply from his thoughts.

"Ruka!" Kain rushed towards her voice, realizing too late from her tone of voice that she had wanted him to _run_. Kain burst into a clearing, his footsteps grounding to a halt as his eyes met Ruka's frightened ones.

"_NO!" _a low, feminine voice cut through Kain's heart like a hot knife, too familiar, too anguished and sweet.

_Rin!_ Startled, Kain looked around the clearing, his eyes searching for her icy ones desperately. His eyes took in the whole scene before him, shocking him to his core:

Aidou lay on his face on the ground, unconscious. A dark haired woman in baggy trousers and Gypsy clothing stood over him, pointing a dagger at the base of his neck. Seiren had a bad gash running from between her shoulderblades slant-wise to her side. She was held in a death lock by another woman as was Ruka.

Kain's eyes froze as they met Rin's anguish filled icy ones. Tears threatened to spill over her lashes as she gazed at her lover. She was held tightly against the President, a dagger shining menacingly at her throat. It angered Kain as he noticed the restraining tattoo somewhat hidden by her clothing.

"Don't move, or she dies," the President said softly, his lips curving upwards in sick satisfaction as Kain was forced to comply, fighting back tears as he and Rin gazed at each other yearningly.

The President turned slightly to face someone else standing behind him, dragging Rin roughly in the same direction as he nodded to the girl behind him. Hikari.

Kain's eyes hardened as he met the adolescent's frightened ones, as she gazed at him her eyes begging him to forgive her.

"I'm sorry, _prala_," she said softly, and even if her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, Kain could make them out clearly. He didn't relent his cold gaze from her sorry one, not even as the hard branches of the trees behind him entwined themselves around his wrists and pulled him backward, locking his arms behind his back in living forest chains. He didn't lift his hard, angry gaze from the young girl and the President until Hikari turned away, ashamed.

The President chuckled softly, turning to face the woman who held Aidou down. "Do away with them," he commanded, his tone bored and uncaring. "Or else," he whispered menacingly, pressing the blade just a _little_ bit harder into Rin's neck, as the Gypsy woman hesitated.

All of a sudden Kain felt a change in Rin, much like the change she underwent in the forest, when she had massacred all those hunters. Kain's face froze, as he saw her grit her jaw in anger, her eyes turning bright crimson as she growled with rage. _Shit, she's going to kill everyone in sight if she's allowed to continue!_

And then several things happened at once. Kain's arms were freed in a split second, just at the same moment when Rin ripped free from the President's grasp, grabbing him by the throat and flinging him ruthlessly upward through the air, blood sliding from her cheek as the knife that had threatened her throat jarred away from her. The President screamed, bursting into flames just as a shadow crossed a above him and a sword slashed through his chest.

The Chairman disengaged his sword before landing gracefully, looking calmly into the distance as the President disintegrated into ashen dust.

"I wonder…" the Chairman said softly, addressing no one in particular, since the President was dead. "Since when were you able to be cut by an anti-vampire blade? You never even realized you had turned into your own prey, did you?"

Everything was still then, even Rin, though she stood tense, a wild snarl on her face as her eyes glowed a glaring red.

Then, Hikari, the first to break, fell to her knees, weeping. "Ah, _pena_. Forgive me… forgive me, _pena, prala._" The other Gypsy women present then released their captives, surrendering to their knees as well, heads bowed. The pain was clear in their faces. The eldest one who had held Seiren stood slowly and turned to Kurosu after a moment's silence, inclining her head slightly. But before she could speak, all the vampires in the clearing suddenly tensed all of them suddenly responding to the evil atmosphere that washed over them.

"That feeling-" Ruka began, shivering, but she was cut of by Kain.

"_RIN!_" Kain leapt after her, running fast after her through the woods, attempting- and failing- to catch up with her.

* * *

Rin snarled as she smelled blood at the top of the building. _That _blood. His. With a crazed growl she clawed up the Moon Dorm's façade, arriving at the top and charging wildly at the the dark figure of Rido without breaking her pace. Still she was too slow. Too slow, even with Shizuka's blood lending her power. She leapt, nails extending, about to slash at Rido's face, when suddenly he was gone. Rin twisted around like a cat, knowing he was behind her. And he was. Before she could attack him, he had his rough hand at her throat, his lips to her ear, and his other hand placed against her waist.

"_Well,_ we meet again at last. Here to entertain me again like before?" he teased maliciously. "I hope you got _better_ though!" he laughed evilly, just as he slammed Rin into the rooftop, crumbling the bricks around them in a reddish crater. He smirked as Rin cried out in pain at the impact, breaking several of her ribs on purpose as he crushed her beneath his weight. He laughed cruelly watching as Rin squirmed beneath him. He looked up suddenly, jumping away, before he was impaled on the Artemis rod's extended blade. He laughed as Yuuki stood protectively beside Rin, dodging again as thorns from the Bloody Rose smashed into where he had been standing moments ago.

"Pleasure me again, some other time, dear Rin. I have some business I'm busy with, as you can see," he called, making Rin growl defiantly. She staggered slowly to her feet, her ribs healing slowly under her skin. _Either I take his blood, or I die trying. This is it. The last chance. _

Slowly, painfully, Rin stood and faced her enemy, ready to fight for the blood she needed so much if she were to survive.


	18. Cold Heart

"Look to the mountains in the summer and autumn, the plains during the spring, and my mother's vardo in the winter. The birds and other creatures will let me know when you approach. You will find me," she said quietly, looking up into Kain's eyes. He saw the pain over the last events barely hidden there, could see her begging him to let her go. He had his hands on either side of her face, and they looked at each other tenderly.

Rin tiptoed slightly, pressing a light kiss on Kain's lips, before drawing away until only the tips of their noses touched.

"Follow him while you must, Akatsuki. But come for me when the time is right. And remember. Don't watch me until I am out of sight, else you will never see me again," Rin said, smiling slightly.

"I love you," he said, his brows furrowed as she gently clasped his upperarms, pulling herself away from his tight embrace. Her eyes glittered as she smirked characteristically and turned away. "And I you," she said quietly, and then she was walking through the gates of Cross Academy, never to return.

Kain watched her until she arrived at the bend, and it took all his strength, to wrench his eyes away, and not watch her disappear around the curve.

"Why don't you follow her?" Kaname said, suddenly appearing beside Kain.

"She doesn't need me. Not yet," and with those words, he felt his heart grow cold and distant, all the fire gone with her. He grew cold to remind himself, of those eyes of ice, of that cold heart which he had clasped and melted. That cold heart he had now taken for his own, when she was gone.

"She doesn't need me yet. But when she calls, I will follow her... Wherever she may go. _And then she will melt this cold heart of mine._"

* * *

**Cold Heart finally ends!! I'm sorry for such an abrupt ending, but I've been having a very very very annoying writer's block (I'm sure you can tell) and I just wanted to end it once and for all.**


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